WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2, Episode 8, "Chapter 16: The Rescue," streaming now on Disney+.

The Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian saw Din Djarin on the path to rescue Grogu from Moff Gideon. But he didn't take on the Imperial cruiser and platoon of Dark Troopers all on his own. He brought allies Boba Fett, Fennec Shand, Cara Dune and Mandalorians Bo-Katan Kryze and Koska Reeves. The joining of these characters resulted in the women of the group forming their own heroine team, and together, they attacked their opponents on the bridge of the Imperial cruiser. The scene was reminiscent of the infamous "girl power" scene in Avengers: Endgame. However, The Mandalorian portrayed its group of women warriors in a far more natural way, maintaining the integrity of the story, whereas Endgame did not.

The Mandalorian pulled off the female-centered moment much better than Avengers: Endgame because there was no overt attention drawn to the fact that it was supposed to be a "girl power" scene. Instead, The Mandalorian subtly drew the group together, without it feeling as though the women were mere tokens.

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Fennec Shand

The plan to rescue Grogu involved Boba Fett acting as an antagonistic pursuer of an Imperial ship piloted by Bo-Katan who traveled with Koska, Fennec, Cara and Din. When the ship landed aboard the cruiser, Boba Fett fled to maintain the ruse. At that point, the women exited. They began their assault on the cruiser with their sights set on the bridge, where they hoped to find Moff Gideon.

The plan did not exactly work out as intended. Moff Gideon knew there was something suspicious happening, and he positioned himself between Grogu and Din. Meanwhile on the bridge, the women worked together impressively to take control of the ship. In this sequence, The Mandalorian showed powerful and capable women warriors without it feeling disingenuous or forced or interrupting the plot.

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captain marvel looks down at spider-man after he gives her the infinity gauntlet

In contrast, the "A-Force" sequence of Avengers: Endgame missed the nuance that the scene in The Mandalorian had. The Endgame "girl power" scene slowed the pace and felt disconnected from the flow of the film as a whole. Marvel has been rightly criticized for its lack of female centered movies, and its A-Force sequence felt like a panicked response to that, reeking of a publicity stunt. While the women of the Avengers were strong, capable fighters just like the women in The Mandalorian, the Endgame scene did not actually highlight that; instead, it cheapened the characters.

Strong female characters are well written and contribute to the story through both the plot and emotional resonance. Avengers: Endgame lacked this entirely, and its attempt to spotlight its female characters came off as disingenuous. The Mandalorian succeeded where Endgame failed, and featured competent, powerful female characters with more finesse and nuance.

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