EDITORIAL: Casting Superheroes and the Double Standard

Well, the day has finally arrived. Superman has made his return to television with the CW’s newly acquired Supergirl. Fans were given their first look at the new Man of Steel in a promotional pic not too long ago (played now by Teen Wolf’s Tyler Hoechlin) and reactions were mixed, to say the least. Some were hung up on Hoechlin’s association with Teen Wolf, a show aimed primarily at teen girls. There were criticisms about the suit itself. I’m not a fan of how the cape’s set up.

But there was one big reaction I found very interesting - enough to prompt me to write this editorial. A lot of fans were more critical of Hoechlin’s size. I have a personal concern over Superman continuing to shrink over the years (Reeve 6’4”, Welling 6’3”, Routh 6’2”, Cavill 6’1”, Hoechlin 6’0”) but that’s not what fans were complaining about.

“He needs to get in the gym” or “He’d better start hitting those weights” they’re saying. Yes, interesting. Why? I’m glad you asked.

Securing a superhero role nowadays pretty much guarantees a leaner, meaner body. Hugh Jackman is a beast when he’s Wolverine. Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans get huge for their turns as Thor and Captain America. Jason Mamoa is hard at work as he prepares for his run as Aquaman.

In my humble opinion this whole thing is about expectations and preference.

Audiences have come to expect this type of commitment from actors. Film is a visual medium and what the audience sees on screen triggers certain associations in the brain. We see Jackman, Hemsworth and Cavill on screen and they look powerful. They look like gods come to life. The brain typically equates “muscles = power”.

Now let’s go back in time a few years. Gal Gadot is announced as Wonder Woman and the internet loses its mind. The backlash is tremendous. Concerns rise over issues like her acting ability and being able to carry a movie. After all, there are only a handful of bankable leading ladies in Hollywood and they ALL have Oscars.

The main concern - Gadot’s size. She was alarmingly skinny. The last woman anyone (besides Zack Snyder) would consider for an Amazon warrior goddess.

Let’s start with “Some people aren’t happy unless they cast a bodybuilder in the role”.

Nonsense in its truest form. If anyone truly believes this is what people wanted instead of Gadot, I feel sorry for you.

The other argument, and certainly the most common - “Wonder Woman’s strength doesn’t come from her muscles”. Interesting, indeed. Why? Again, glad you asked.

This comes up when people want to defend Gadot but is rarely mentioned, if at all, in Hoechlin’s case. In fact, it’s an argument you just don’t hear when it comes to men. Thor’s or any Asgardian’s strength doesn’t come from their muscles. Neither do Superman’s, Supergirl’s and Kryptonians’. Yet Hemsworth and Cavill get massive.

So the question begs to be asked, is there a different set of expectations for women then there are for men? It seems as if male heroes are expected to look like gods but women get a pass.

And it’s not just Gadot as Wonder Woman. Fox and Marvel have contributed as well. While Jaimie Alexander isn’t wafer thin, you could say her frame is petite. She’s fine as Lady Sif action wise but when it comes to size and stature, Asgardian warrior just doesn’t spring to mind. 

And how about Elodie Yung in Netflix’s Daredevil. She’s as thin as Gadot was when she got WW. Neither Scarlett Johansson or Krysten Ritter got into “wow” shape for their roles as Black Widow and Jessica Jones.

The same for Olivia Munn for her turn as Psylocke and Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique (who’s required to go practically nude on occasion). Both actresses look rather pedestrian when it comes to physique.

You’d have to go all the way back to 1991 and Terminator 2: Judgement Day to find an actress who physically transformed herself for her role.

James Cameron wrote one of the strongest female characters in film but Linda Hamilton also looked strong because of the work she put in. So where has that gone?

Again, preference and expectations.

I propose casting for these roles has a lot to do with what’s considered feminine. It’s about what a woman is “supposed” to look like and how a woman is perceived by today’s standards. Standards established by magazines like Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire.

I’m not saying these actresses are out of shape or don’t do the work the men do.

I know Man of Steel’s Antje Traue busted her ass for months with fight choreography and strength training for her role as Faora. But any beautiful actress can tone up, learn choreography and put on a costume, making her look like a “bad-ass”.

Sadly, that seems to be all that matters with some fans. As long as these actresses kick ass and look feminine or “hot” while doing it, they’re fine. Because “strong” means something different for women today. It’s less literal and has more to do with confidence, independence and bad-assery. That’s today’s mold. Here’s the thing about molds, though…sometimes they’re broken. And now would be the perfect time.

                       

It’s 2016. Women are just as athletically prominent as men and they have the bodies to boot. One could argue, with so many fans boasting about “realism”, a female hero who accurately represents today’s female athlete would be “realistic”. You’ve got women who absolutely own in the gym. No, not the bodybuilder types but beautifully sculpted women.

There are plenty of inspirational women in athletics and fitness, those who set a standard for others to aspire to, but in Tinseltown, unfortunately they’re nonexistent. Today’s superheroines cater to the females who want to look like Lawrence, Gadot and Johansson. They’re the ones following these celebrities on Instagram and Twitter. They’re your everyday, ordinary girls.

But what about the extraordinary women? Because the characters these actresses are playing are extraordinary themselves. I’m not talking about the women in Shape magazine I’m talking about the ones in Strong Magazine.

Imagine for a moment an actress getting cast for a superhero role and spending months molding herself. A real drive and commitment to shatter the status quo when it comes to the modern leading lady. At the end of her training she doesn’t look like a supermodel she looks like a warrior. Muscle. Definition. A work of art.

I don’t mean to pick on Gadot’s Wonder Woman but THAT ROLE should’ve been THE ROLE that changed the leading lady. Why? Because it’s Wonder Woman. A truly historic and monumental part. Arguably one of the most important casting choices ever. She is the modern athletic woman.

True, her strength doesn’t come from her muscles but her muscles have traditionally been a part of her mystique. They give her a presence 99% of women don’t have. They’re part of the reason she’s able to stand out in a room full of supermodels.

So why hasn’t this happened yet? It goes back to meeting the “feminine” requirement. Quite frankly muscles are considered masculine. There’s a preconceived notion that muscles on a woman make her look more masculine. It’s just not attractive to some people. Maybe the female bodybuilder image automatically pops into their head. All it would take, however, is one pivotal role to lay this stone aged perception to rest.

IN CONCLUSION

I give Steven Soderbergh points for casting Gina Carano in his film Haywire instead the thin “It Girl” of the moment. Putting MMA fighters in these roles isn’t the answer, though, be it Carano or Rhonda Rousey. Why not? Simple, they can’t act. Thank goodness Rousey didn’t get Captain Marvel.

A legit actress getting a high profile CBM role and then getting into jaw dropping shape would speak louder than people realize. It would introduce younger girls to beauty well beyond the Hollywood starlet. The kind of beauty that doesn’t need a costume to look bad-ass. And, as I stated before, it would be a real representation of the today’s female athletes.

I don’t know if this will ever happen. Maybe Gadot will get after 2017’s Justice League but there’s no indication of that. I’m not so sure we’ll see it with Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel. There IS one role in Marvel’s library they could cast and really make some noise if done right, though…

A guy can dream.

What do you guys think? Do you believe there’s a double standard when casting male and female superheroes? Would you like to see more athletic representations of female heroes? Sound off below and, as always, thanks for reading!