Female Marvel superheroes who deserve their own shows: Valkyrie, A-Force and more
Disney Plus and ABC have Marvel superhero shows already in the works. Here are more super-powered ladies we think deserve their own series.
Tessa Thompson played a Valkyrie warrior in the 2017 movie Thor: Ragnarok.
A new live-action series focused on Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) called WandaVision headed to the new Disney Plus streaming service; plus ABC is eyeing a Marvel female superhero series.
However, even though it's exciting that both ABC and Disney Plus are exploring more diverse Marvel characters for upcoming shows, we have our own list of female superheroes we think deserve their own TV series.
1. She-Hulk
When lawyer Jennifer Walters gets an emergency blood transfusion from her cousin Dr. Bruce Banner, she ends up getting a milder case of his Hulk condition. Unlike Hulk, Walters can keep her emotions in check when she transforms into She-Hulk.
The lawyer-by-day, vigilante-by-night angle worked well for the Marvel character Daredevil in the hit Netflix series, so why not She-Hulk?
Perhaps ABC or Disney Plus can relaunch She-Hulk as a Law & Order-type drama, or maybe even an Ally McBeal comedy. In the comics , She-Hulk was also a member of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Defenders and S.H.I.E.L.D., so the crossover potential is endless.
UPDATE: Yay! Looks like Disney and Marvel listened to our pleas for a She-Hulk series. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced during D23 in August 2019 that a new She-Hulk series is in the works for Disney Plus.
Marvel superhero She-Hulk is headed to Disney Plus.
2. Black Widow
Natalia "Natasha" Romanova/Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson in the MCU) was a Russian spy and adversary to Iron Man. She ultimately defected to the US and joined S.H.I.E.L.D. Later, she became an important member of the Avengers. Black Widow is already getting her own movie where fans learn more about her Russian spy background, but what about a TV series with Black Widow as a teenager when she first started her training? High school Natasha Romanova could be like Riverdale with a lot more fighting.
Actor Scarlett Johansson as Marvel's Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff.
3. The Dora Milaje
The warrior women of Wakanda from Black Panther are fierce and fabulous, so why not give them their own women-centric spin-off series? Black Panther director Ryan Coogler recently commented that he'd be interested in making a spin-off movie about them. Even the real-world 19th-century Dahomey Warriors -- the all-female military regiment who inspired the Dora Milaje -- are getting a TV series. It would be interesting to see how the Dora Milaje came to be, before Wakanda was revealed to the outside world.
The fictional nation of Wakanda in "Black Panther" was guarded by the Dora Milaje, which took inspiration from a real group.
4. X-23
Laura Kinney AKA X-23 was created to be the ideal killing machine thanks to Wolverine's stolen DNA. In the Marvel comics, Laura's mother Dr. Sarah Kinney was hired by a top-secret program to recreate the Weapon X experiment that originally turned Logan into Wolverine. Laura -- named X-23 -- was a clone created from these experiments and trained to kill. But she eventually escaped and eventually found Charles Xavier and joined the Avengers Academy. Fans saw her as young girl in the 2017 film Logan starring Hugh Jackman, but imagine what Laura could do with her own TV series?
Actor Dafne Keen plays Laura AKA X-23 in the 2017 movie Logan.
5. Gamora
Then there's the female space assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana) in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Her character's complex history would make for an ideal ABC series, particularly if the show focused on why she's the last of her species (Zen-Whoberis) after everyone was exterminated by the Badoon. Overcoming her tragic past to later rise up as one of the deadliest assassins in the universe is inspiring to say the least.
Gamora (Zoe Saldana) from Guardians of the Galaxy would make a great subject for a Disney Plus series.
6. Danielle "Dani" Moonstar
It's about time fans were introduced to one of the first female Native American characters in a series all her own. Danielle Moonstar is a mutant raised as part of the Cheyenne Nation. Under the guidance of X-Men's Professor Xavier, she learned to hone her ability to create images of people's greatest fears. This series could either focus on her life with other teen mutants at the school, or the superhero she became later as an adult.
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar is part of Marvel's all-female team of Fearless Defenders alongside Misty Knight and Hippolyta.
7. A-Force
The Avengers might have felt like the superhero all-stars in their heyday, but the all-female A-Force is even cooler. This lineup consists of Captain Marvel , Dazzler, Medusa, She-Hulk, Singularity, Nico Minoru and a female Thor who band together to fight evil. That alone sounds like the best series ever. Bring on A-Force!
She-Hulk, Medusa, Dazzler and Singularity are some of the many amazing female superheroes connected to A-Force.
8. Spider-Gwen
Peter Parker's flame Gwen Stacy is living her own web-slinging adventures as Spider-Gwen in an alternate universe. It would be refreshing to have a Spider-Man series with a female lead for a change. Plus considering how much fans were excited to spot her as an Easter egg in Avengers: Endgame, now might be the perfect time for a Spider-Gwen TV series.
Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) in Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
9. Misty Knight
When police officer Misty Knight lost her arm in battle, she soon got an bionic arm and became the kind of superhero New York City deserved. We've already seen her character (played by Simone Missick) impress fans in the Netflix series Luke Cage, but it might be time to shine the spotlight more on Misty to tell her full story.
Misty Knight (Simone Missick) has already proved her skills in Marvel's Luke Cage series on Netflix.
10. Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel
Meet 16-year-old Pakistani-American Kamala Khan from Jersey City, New Jersey. She idolizes Carol Danvers and wants to follow in her superhero footsteps. In 2014, Khan was given her own Ms. Marvel comic book series by Sana Amanat, G. Willow Wilson, and Adrian Alphona.
She is the fourth character to take the name Ms. Marvel. She's also the first Muslim superhero character to headline her own comic series. This could be a great character for Disney or ABC to explore more, giving their network some much-needed diversity.
UPDATE: Feige announced during D23 in August that in addition to a new She-Hulk series is in the works, we're getting a Ms. Marvel series for Disney Plus as well. Huzzah!
Ms. Marvel is headed to Disney Plus.
11. Valkyrie
Fans got a glimpse of the female demi-goddesses known as the Valkyries in the 2017 movie Thor: Ragnarok. Actor Tessa Thompson stole the movie as the hard-drinking character Scrapper 142, previously a legendary Valkyrie warrior. A prequel series all about this character could show how the Valkyries came to be, and why they were ultimately defeated.
Actor Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie in 2017's Thor: Ragnarok.
Originally published Nov. 15, 2018. Updated Oct. 9, 2019: Add info about new She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel Disney Plus shows.