The “Bait and Switch” Problem
Have you noticed that seemingly every major male character is kind of being replaced by a female character? While you might not see it right off, this has been a huge move that took place in Phase 4. It is never a problem to introduce new female characters, especially when done well like Yelena Belova (played by the brilliant Florence Pugh). Yet when you plan to introduce them while at the same time trying to either have them replace major males in the same role, this is an issue. Let’s just examine a few instances of this. Remember how the Loki show was supposed to be about Tom Hiddleston’s Loki character? Technically, his show turned out to be a show about the female version of Loki known as Silvie. They even have him fall in love with her, essentially meaning Loki fell in love with himself.
Sure, that is classic Loki but Silvie is the true star of this show, not Loki himself. Maybe look at Jane Foster becoming the Mighty Thor, complete with a reformed Mjölnir hammer. Thor: Love and Thunder makes Thor Odinson look like a comedic moron rather than an actual God. All while propping up Foster as the new Thor, who somehow has a better hang on things than Odinson. Perhaps look at She-Hulk who somehow has a better understanding of the Hulk’s powers than her cousin, the original Hulk, Bruce Banner. This is not even addressing Ironheart or the Captain Marvel problems. It is cool to introduce these characters, but do they need to replace the men or make the guys look like morons in comparison? It is not shocking that people have mocked this by calling the MCU the M-SHE-U.