Ever since Marvel debuted the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man in 2008, superhero movies have been all the rage. Of course, that's not to say there weren't superhero movies prior to the MCU, but the previous 10 years have been something of a golden age compared to what came before. The genre is on fire and it's high past time for the gentlemen of comics to step aside so we can finally hear from the ladies who have been stuck in the roles of love interests and back-up characters for far too long.
To date, the only truly significant and financially successful superhero film centered around a female character was 2017's Wonder Woman. That project not only starred a female lead, but was also directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins, who is set to direct its sequel.
It's finally time for the women of comics to shine and there are a ton of projects in development just over the horizon. Not only do we have confirmed projects being developed right now, there are some previously only hinted-at films, which could be in the works.
Whether a movie is ready to go and in the can for distribution or only a rumor fans can't help but hope comes to fruition, female-driven superhero films are here to stay. We dug through the Internet's deepest and darkest rumor mills to come up with a list of these 11 Female Superhero Movies Currently In Development (And 9 Rumored).
IN DEVELOPMENT: CAPTAIN MARVEL
Captain Marvel is set to be the 21st film in the MCU-- and unbelievably, the first to be headed by a female character.
Marvel began development of the film back in May 2013 but it took another three years to cast Brie Larson, which was announced at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con International. The movie will be directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and will feature numerous characters from the MCU.
Captain Marvel is set sometime during the 1990s, so the film may not have anything to do with the recent events of Avengers: Infinity War. While much of the film's plot details remain a closely guarded secret, it is believed to involve the Kree-Skrull War and other storylines related to those characters.
Captain Marvel is scheduled to release on March 8, 2019.
IN DEVELOPMENT: ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL
Jumping across the pond for some Japanese source material, we have Alita: Battle Angel, based on the hit manga series already adapted into anime by Yukito Kishiro. Robert Rodriguez has picked up this project, which will star Rosa Salazar, Christoph Walz, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, Michelle Rodriguez, and many more.
The film is being produced by James Cameron, who also adapted the manga into the screenplay.
The plot will revolve around the first four books of the series, which involve the establishment of the character, her impressive rise towards stardom, the sport of Motorball, which featured heavily in the third and fourth book, and the underlying conflict the lore presents throughout.
Alita: Battle Angel is scheduled to release on December 21, 2018.
RUMORED: HIT-GIRL
Back when Kick-Ass hit theaters in 2010, viewers were shocked and impressed at by then-11-year-old Chloë Grace Moretz, who played Hit-Girl. Almost immediately, talk of a spinoff starring the masked child assassin followed for years. The second Kick-Ass film failed to meet box office expectations, which is why the third never made it to development, but a Hit-Girl project is a possibility.
Matthew Vaughn, the director of the first Kick-Ass film, is reportedly working on a solo Hit-Girl film as well as a reboot of the Kick-Ass franchise with the goal of streaming it on Netflix. The Hit-Girl film could focus on an older version of the character or even follow her earlier years when she was trained by Big Daddy. Whatever the plot, fans are eagerly awaiting news of this project.
IN DEVELOPMENT: WONDER WOMAN 1984
Wonder Woman's amazing success at the box office as well as its critical reception offered little doubt DC would go forward with a sequel. Fortunately, that's exactly what we are getting when DC releases Wonder Woman 1984 in 2019.
The movie is being directed by Jenkins and will star Gal Gadot once again. Kristen Wiig has been confirmed as Barbara Ann Minerva, aka Cheetah, one of Wonder Woman's greatest comic book villains. Interestingly, despite his seemingly final fate in Wonder Woman, Chris Pine will reprise his role as Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman 1984.
The plot of the film is mostly unknown, but it will take place in the 1980s and will revolve around the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. At some point, she will engage with Cheetah, but there is no indication how this will play out.
The film is set to release on November 1, 2019.
RUMORED: ALL-FEMALE MCU FILM
Captain Marvel will be the first female-driven MCU film, but that isn't to say there aren't already a lot of amazing female characters in the MCU. The pitch for a female-driven MCU ensemble film came from the mind of Tessa Thompson, Valkyrie from Thor: Ragnarok.
Thompson, alongside several others, pitched the concept to Kevin Feige.
Thompson was leading the pitch-meeting, but she was joined by Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), and Brie Larson. We know the pitch was made and Feige was receptive, but beyond that, it's only speculation at this point.
With any luck, we might just get to see an all-female MCU film sometime in the near future.
IN DEVELOPMENT: BIRDS OF PREY
Margot Robbie had a breakout role as Harley Quinn for 2016's Suicide Squad. While that film failed to break box office expectations, it was praised for Robbie's portrayal of Harley , which is why she is being tapped for a slew of movies.
The first of these projects is already in development and is tentatively titled Birds of Prey. In the comics, the Birds of Prey are a group of crimefighting female superheroes, with a roster that includes Batgirl, Huntress, and Black Canary.
The film was pitched by Robbie as "an R-rated girl gang film including Harley." The project also landed a female director when it signed Cathy Yan to direct in April 2018.
The project is a ways off and reportedly won't begin principal photography until January 2019, so it might not hit theaters until sometime in 2020.
RUMORED: SILK
Silk is a relatively new character, having debuted back in April 2014. Thanks to the deal Marvel inked with Sony back in the day, Sony Pictures retains the rights to her-- and most other characters developed alongside Spider-Man.
Like Peter Parker, Cindy Moon was also bitten by a radioactive spider, but her powers didn't begin to emerge until several years later during the "Original Sin" event.
Bringing Silk to the big screen has been rumored for a long time, but it may actually be happening. The scuttlebutt out of Sony Pictures is that a solo Silk film may be heading towards development.
Seeing as the studio is about to release Venom, this may not be outside the realm of possibility.
Development of Silk may be dependent on how financially successful Venom is, so here's hoping that movie does well!
IN DEVELOPMENT: BATGIRL
There have been 11+ Batman films and eight television series, but as of yet, not a single Batgirl movie. That's finally about to change with a film written by Christina Hodson. The film is said to be based on the Barbara Gordon version of the popular character from the New 52.
At present, the studio has yet to land a director, though it is shopping for a female director to take the job.
The Batgirl film has seen some time in development hell thanks to losing the man who launched the project: Joss Whedon. Initially, Whedon was set to write, produce, and direct the film but dropped out when he admitted he didn't have the right story to tell. While the film has yet to receive a director, it is still slotted for release sometime in 2019.
RUMORED: IRONHEART
Riri Williams was a 15-year-old engineering student at MIT when she designed her own suit of armor similar to the ones used by Stark. Unfortunately, she stole the materials to make the suit from her school, which lands her in trouble. After this all gets sorted out, she meets and receives an endorsement from Iron Man himself, which sets her on the path to becoming a superhero.
An Ironheart film has been talked about pretty much since the character debuted in 2016. Seeing as Robert Downey Jr. will soon depart the MCU, those rumors have only increased in volume.
Nothing is confirmed at this time, but the a script for Ironheart surfaced on the Black List in July.
IN DEVELOPMENT: BLACK CAT
Originally, Sony planned to release a Silver & Black film spun-off from Spider-Man, but reports changed in August 2018. With that concept shelved, Sony began development of two separate films starring Silver Sable and Black Cat. Silver & Black was to be written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, but reports say that she won't write or direct the solo outings.
Black Cat will rise from the ashes of the abandoned Silver & Black to allow for a more direct focus on the character.
Black Cat is Spider-Man’s nemesis-turned-ally/lover who was first introduced back in 1979.
There aren’t many details yet known as far as what we might expect from a solo Black Cat film, but odds are it will focus on the development of Felicia Hardy as a cat burglar who turns her life around and becomes a superhero.
RUMORED: HAWKMAN & HAWKGIRL
This rumored project will have to split itself by being a female/male-driven superhero film, but that doesn't in any way detract from one half of this superhero duo's prominence. While Hawkman and Hawkgirl have been staples of DC Comics, animation, and television series like Legends of Tomorrow, they have yet to headline their own feature film.
The rumor surrounding DC's future plans suggests this trend may come to an end with a movie featuring the two superheroes.
Back in March 2018, a rumor began swirling around the Internet that Warner Bros. was considering Hawkman and Hawkgirl for a future project.
The theory suggests a film might tie-into or follow Green Lantern Corps with a more sci-fi feel than the pair's traditional backstory, tied to ancient Egyptian mythology.
IN DEVELOPMENT: GOTHAM CITY SIRENS
Another project related to the success Margot Robbie had playing Harley Quinn is Gotham City Sirens, currently in development at Warner Bros. Studios.
Gotham City Sirens is a comic series from DC, which centered around a few villains instead of the usual good guys who typically lock them up. The series originally ran for 26 issues from 2009 until 2011 and featured Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman.
The movie is in the works, but there is some confusion about what may actually see a release.
Various rumors online suggest the project may actually be Birds of Prey or that film might actually be this one. We might either see one film or two, but at this point, nothing is confirmed. Very little has been confirmed other than the fact that this film or one like it is in development.
RUMORED: HARLEY/JOKER
Another project hinted at due to the success Margot Robbie had portraying Harley Quinn is this standalon film about the Joker and Harley's relationship. This is a project that has been rumored for a long time— even before Robbie nailed her role as Quinn.
In August 2017, it was reported that Glenn Ficarra and John Requa were in contract negotiations to possibly write and direct Jared Leto and Robbie in an untitled movie featuring their respective characters, but little info has come out about it since.
It was described at the time as a "criminal love story" and "an insane and twisted love story. When Harry Met Sally on Benzedrine." As far as when something like this might hit the big screen -- it's anyone's guess.
IN DEVELOPMENT: KITTY PRYDE
Everybody's favorite phasing X-Man is finally getting her own solo flick if-- all goes according to Tim Miller's plans.
Miller, the director of Deadpool has been working on the project since at least January 2018 with his sights set on possibly directing it. The fate of this film is tenuous due to the coming merger between Disney and Fox Studios.
In the meantime, Miller has been working hard on the pitch with Brian Michael Brendis, so there is a chance we might get to see a solo outing for Kitty Pryde.
As for the plot, it could involve her time with the X-Men or even as Star-Lord, which may even be a way to tie her into the MCU once the merger is approved.
RUMORED: X-23
Logan was an amazing film featuring some of our favorite characters from the X-Men comics, but the real breakout star from the movie was Dafne Keen's performance as Laura Kinney, aka X-23. The character not only stole the show, but represented a path forward for the X-Men franchise. It looks as if Fox is following that path to a solo film centered on the character.
Back in October 2017, James Mangold, director for Logan stated "We're just working a script" but talk of a spinoff was almost immediate following the film's release. The success of Wonder Woman was cited as a reason for moving the project forward and more people have been brought on board.
News of the Fox-Disney deal has put this project in a more tenuous position.
IN DEVELOPMENT: SILVER SABLE
Like with the solo Black Cat film, Sony is banking on the success of its Spider-Man spinoffs and began developing a solo project in August 2018. Since the announcement the solo film would be split in two, there isn’t much in the way of details.
Silver Sable is one of Spider-Man’s oldest allies/sometimes enemies, having first appeared in the books back in 1985.
A solo movie will likely focus on her mercenary company and may stray from interacting with Spider-Man, similar to the Venom film.
This project is in the early stages of development, so no release date is scheduled.
RUMORED: MS. MARVEL
Not to be confused with Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel is a separate character. While Kamala Khan has only been in the Marvel Universe since 2013, she is a fan-favorite female superhero. Khan has been celebrated for being an interesting and diverse character whose background as a Pakistani Muslim makes her somewhat unique in the MCU.
Following the success of Black Panther, fans proved an interest in a more diverse population of superheroes, which is why Kevin Feige shifted his focus towards Khan.
In an interview with the BBC, Feige admitted planes were "in the works" to bring Khan into the MCU, but her chance for a silver screen debut would have to wait for Captain Marvel.
Riz Ahmed and Mindy Kaling have both expressed interesting in writing the script, should it ever go into development.
IN DEVELOPMENT: BLACK WIDOW
Ever since Scarlett Johansson debuted on the silver screen as Black Widow in Iron Man 2, fans have been begging Marvel for a solo film. After all, Johansson who had already solidified herself among Hollywood's elite years before playing a character with an incredible backstory— why hadn't Marvel moved forward with his project?
Finally, after years of badgering, Marvel is moving forward with a solo flick.
A Black Widow standalone film is currently in development over at Marvel Studios with Jac Schaeffer working on the script. While the movie is still in the early phase of development, it landed Cate Shortland to direct. Johansson personally advocated for the hiring of Shortland, which pleased fans who were adamant a woman helm the project.
RUMORED: HOUSE OF M
Marvel's House of M storyline involved every mutant in the Marvel Universe, but the one at the center of everything was Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch. Thanks to her reality-warping powers, she was able to remove almost all mutants from the Marvel Universe in an instant-- after she created of an alternate reality where everything was meant to be a utopia.
Despite involving the entire Marvel Universe, Wanda remained at the story's core and as such, any true adaptation of the story would be female-driven superhero project. While nothing is in development, Elizabeth Olson mentioned in an interview with Metro UK that she "would love to [do a standalone]" and "would love it to be House of M."
Given her exceptional performance as the character, she may just have the clout to make it happen.
IN DEVELOPMENT: SUPERGIRL
Supergirl is no stranger to movie stardom, having already appeared in a solo film back in 1984. Unfortunately, that wasn't the best superhero movie and it's high time she got another chance at the silver screen. Warner Bros. is actively looking to hire a female director for their standalone Supergirl film, with recent reports indicating The Handmaid's Tale director Reed Morano as a top contender.
Development of a Supergirl film will likely stray from the current CW television series in the same way the Flash did in the Justice League film. That suggests Melissa Benoist will likely remain on the small screen while another actress will be chosen to take on the role, but nothing is confirmed at this point. As of now, the movie is in development, but no release date has been set.
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What female superhero movie are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments!