The winds of change are a-blowing in Hollywood. Wonder Woman was the first big movie to prove that a female-led superhero movie could be successful, and between her and the supporting ladies of Black Panther and Ant-Man and the Wasp, many also expect to see Captain Marvel to be just as, if not more, successful.

But how important will these female superheroes be going forward?

“Female superheroes should be a consistent presence going forward. As the stunning success of Black Panther and Crazy Rich Asians has taught us, representation matters,” Karie Bible, box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations, said. “Women want to see themselves reflected on screen and empowered. Why should the men get to have all the fun?”

But she’s not the only one. Shawn Robbins, chief analyst for BoxOffice.com touted the importance of Gal Gadot and Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe, whose future seems to be hinging on female characters like Supergirl, Harley Quinn, and Batgirl.

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“They’re reading the temperature of the room,” Robbins said. “Slowly but surely, the industry is moving toward equal representation in terms of who runs the studios, who makes the movies and whose faces we see on the big screen.”

But, of course, all this assumes that these movies end up being successful. Hollywood is notoriously reactionary on virtually every level. If a movie fails, they tend to be incredibly lazy in picking out the reason why, which is part of the reason why it’s taken so long for them to even consider a female-led superhero movie. But don’t think that because we’ve had Wonder Woman that they won’t be scrutinized just as closely.

Bible continued:

“If they aren’t successful, it will give studio executives and industry pundits reason to believe that female superheroes or action films don’t make money and won’t in the future. Men are allowed to fail, but women are given fewer chances and the stakes seem higher. There is little margin for error.”

Do you agree that the future of these superhero films will largely rely on female heroes and overall representation? Let us know down below!

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SOURCE: CNBC