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@article{186802,
        author = {Sarthak Sahu and Abhishek Kashyap and Dr. Shweta Patel},
        title = {An Analysis of the Evolution of Female Portrayals in Superhero Films Over the Last Two Decades},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {6},
        pages = {2158-2165},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=186802},
        abstract = {This paper shows the evolution of female cast in super hero films from the last two decades. This study starts with the Early stage, depicted by films like Elektra and Catwoman, In this female lead cast projects were usually commercial setbacks and critical failures, and female cast then suddenly moved to symbolic roles such as "damsel in distress" or the "love interest."
This paper then shows a game changing moment in the late 2010s with the release of movie wonder woman (2017) and captain marvel (2019). These movies show how important female lead movies are with their success.  This research shows how female casts changed the historical male domination and introduced more complex and autonomous female leads.
At last, the study targets the modern era, which results in major change toward a more complex and diverse showcase. This report shows examples from recent movies and series like Harley Quinn's journey to independence in Birds of Prey and Shuri's leadership in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It also explores the addition of cultural specific stories, such as that of Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel, showing a wider society demand for authenticity and diversity.
The findings show a clear improvement and growth from simple characters to complex, lead stars with their own unique cast arcs, agency, and thematic depth. This growth shows and impacts wider cultural conversations about gender, feminism, and representation in media.},
        keywords = {},
        month = {November},
        }