The Marvel Cinematic Universe, like the real world, is in the midst of a historical shift. Our society is being redefined as women everywhere are fighting to be heard, to stand up for what they believe in, and to change a world that has always held them down. Now more than ever, female voices are heard, and their strength is becoming a source of inspiration everywhere. In the midst of this change, Marvel Studios has begun to showcase its female superheroes like never before.

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In a recent interview, Tessa Thompson, who portrayed Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok, said as much. "The women rule supreme; they always have," the actress said. "But I think we’ll see in the next phase [of Marvel films] that really translate on screen in a real way." While Thompson is pointing to the future of the MCU, we can't ignore the current slate of Marvel Studios' movies. While the future may belong to its female superheroes, we believe this is also the case for the present.

Scarlett Johansson in Avengers: Infinity War

There is a lot of secrecy surrounding Marvel right now, with much of what we know and don't know hinging on Avengers: Infinity War and its untitled sequel, Avengers 4. But while we might not know much about the future of Marvel's movies, we do know that its female superheroes will have a large role to play. In fact, we already have the Brie Larson-starring Captain Marvel currently filming, a movie that will be released March 8 2019, before the big finale of Avengers 4. The timing of the shoot, as well as the film's release, seem to point at the fact that Larson's character, Carol Danvers, will have a crucial role to play in the fight against Thanos. In fact, some have already begun to theorize that Captain Marvel will make her first appearance in May's Infinity War, setting the stage for her solo film before appearing alongside the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers 4. The door is being opened for Danvers before she's even mentioned on-screen, preparing the MCU to establish her as Marvel's most-prominent female superhero.

But that's not all. There was also a recent report indicating Marvel is finally moving ahead with a solo Black Widow film starring Scarlet Johansson. Wherever that movie will take place in the MCU timeline, whether it will go back in time to tell an origin story or move forward, spoiling the character's fate coming out of Avengers 4, it seems Marvel finally realizes fans want more Black Widow. We've already seen a blonde Scarlet Johansson in the Infinity War trailer, making it clear that the character will undergo a rebirth of sorts in the film, and while we can't be certain of the magnitude of Natasha's role, it looks like she will have a substantial one. She is, after all, the current face of Marvel's female heroes.

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Make no mistake -- as much as there is coming down the pipeline, this shift is happening right now. Then, we turn our attention to Ant-Man and the Wasp, the sequel to the Paul Rudd-starring film. The original Ant-Man featured Evangeline Lilly's Hope Van Dyne in a supporting capacity, while the film focused on Scott Lang's rise as a superhero. But in the background, there was Hope. While some argued that her character was reduced to a cinematic trope, the sequel is looking to right the wrongs of its predecessor. Not only is Wasp getting billing in the movie's title, the first teaser for the sequel indicates that this will very much be Hope's movie as much as it is Scott's. We've already seen her in action in costume, and we've long known that she will be crucial to the film's plot. But it's still exciting to see that Marvel seems intent on showing us how big of a presence the Wasp will have by way of the marketing for the anticipated superhero team-up film.

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Black Panther releases February 16, and early reactions to the film have been overwhelmingly positive. Not only have people praised the movie's tone, direction and exploration, they've also been excited over its female characters. While Black Panther may focus on Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, the character is also surrounded by all manner of strong women. There is his sister Shuri, who has already been confirmed to be the smartest person in the MCU, and then there are the Dora Milaje, the fiercest warriors of Wakanda, devoted to their King and the safety of their African nation. Early word is, T'Challa shares the spotlight with all of these strong female characters, making them as essential to the story as he is.

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Black Panther's Shuri and the Dora Milaje are just a few short weeks away from being introduced to the world. A renewed Black Widow will likely take the lead in a fight against Thanos' invading forces in Avengers: Infinity War, before (hopefully) starring in her own film. Captain Marvel is coming, sooner rather than later, and the Wasp is set to take the world by microscopic storm very soon. After the introduction of Valkyrie and Mantis in 2017, the number of Marvel's female superheroes continues to rise, and we don't see that stopping anytime soon. The present of the MCU belongs to them, and the future is firmly in their grasp. After more than 17 movies, Marvel isn't showing any signs of slowing down. If anything, it's finally moving forward.