The prevail for female superheroes has started to arise. Although female superheroes have been around for decades, with the increasing popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Marvel has come to their senses and included some lovely ladies. Ladies like Jessica Jones, Captain Marvel, Gamora, and Black Widow are becoming majorly important in the MCU. “Okay, you have your girl hero, you can shut up now. Marvel isn’t sexist!” you say? Well yes, strong women like Natasha Romanoff are being highlighted in the new movies, but is she being celebrated anywhere else? A quick stroll down the Target toy aisle can tell you who Marvel and Target seem to prioritize.

With the increasing popularity of The Avengers, they have really profited over the merchandising of the characters. Many young people are starting to delve into the world of comics. If you haven’t noticed the obvious gender stereotyping occurring in the toy aisle, then you probably have never been down one. In the world of demographics you are supposed to market yourself towards a specific audience, but people aren’t so black and white. Many children’s interests cross and intersect with each other. I was always the little girl to love both Disney and Marvel simultaneously, and I always felt weird for doing so. Why should I want to play with a “boy toy” if I liked “girly” things?

Natasha Romanoff is kick butt. You can’t even disagree, she is powerful and strong, but also has feelings. Many screenwriters have a hard time writing complex women because they think strong and feminine can’t be synonymous. Joss Whedon definitely has a long way to go, but his portrayal of Black Widow is decent. Natasha is shown to be just as vital as the rest of the team, but does Target think so? With the new Age of Ultron film, Target has released a lot of merchandise. From backpacks, t-shirts, props, and of course – action figures.

If you take a look at some of the box sets you have the whole team. The core – Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and Thor. We have the villain, Ultron. And even Hawkeye. But where’s Black Widow? So Marvel will include a female superhero in the MCU to try and hide their blatant internalized misogyny, but won’t even try to include her in the merchandise?