Hollywood's Superwomen

Proving that sadly, critics like myself do not rule the world, recent box office results have shown that middling reviews will always come second to fan enthusiasm. Despite its critics, David Ayer's Suicide Squad had a record-breaking opening weekend, raking in $132 million at the box office. Not that it's a competition or anything (ahem), but Warner Bros' ensemble flick beat MarvelÕs Guardians Of The Galaxy and Fox's Deadpool for box office returns - and apparently women had the deciding vote.

With four female characters (including fan-favourite Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie), Suicide Squad beats most superhero films for prominent female representation, and audience numbers have reflected that. Women made up 46% of the audience for Suicide Squad; a vast improvement over the 38% female turnout for both Batman V. Superman and Deadpool, and 34% for Captain America: Civil War. These figures indicate what women have long been telling Hollywood about female representation onscreen - if you show us, we will come.

Thankfully, Hollywood is finally paying attention (or has heard the sounds of cash registers, anyway), and is taking steps to cater for comic-loving women. Due to the success of her character, Margot Robbie will be reprising her role as Harley Quinn in an as-yet untitled spin-off that will focus on several of DC's female heroes and villains.

While this is fantastic news - particularly for fans of the frequently eroticised friendship between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy - it's interesting that Warner Bros is going straight into another ensemble movie, rather than giving the women a film each.

Of the 32 superhero films set to be released between now and 2020, the vast majority are about individual male superheroes. Only two films will feature solo female leads; Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel. Given that fans have long been calling for spin-off films about their favourite female characters, including The Avengers' Black Widow and Mystique and Rogue from X-Men, it could be that the studios are testing the water with ensemble pictures before trusting female characters to carry a whole film.

These upcoming superhero films don't seem to be doing too well in terms of racial diversity: only two of the 32 films feature a lead actor of colour - Ray Fischer in Cyborg and Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther.

The good news, however, is that one black woman is about to make cinematic history. After winning critical acclaim but getting snubbed by the Academy for her work on Selma, director Ava DuVernay is about to hit a major Hollywood milestone. Her upcoming adaptation of A Wrinkle In Time will make her the first woman of colour to direct a live-action film with a budget of more than $100 million. Only two other women have ever been granted such a budget: Katheryn Bigelow on K-19: The Widowmaker and Patty Jenkins for the upcoming adaptation of Wonder Woman.

Small steps, ladies, but that's far better than none.