You may have noticed by now that female characters are largely underserved when it comes to superhero merchandise*, and Age of Ultron has been no different. But the more it happens, the louder the call for change gets, and this time around Agent Coulson himself wants to know where the heck Black Widow is.
Of course, it’s not just Clark Gregg asking #WheresNatasha, but his voice certainly helps. The Agents of SHIELD star took to Facebook and Twitter to help push a petition by author and Women’s PowerStrategy Conference founder Patricia V. Davis to get the female Avenger the recognition she deserves. The petition reads:
Girls need strong and capable female role models. Please sign my petition asking HASBRO to add more of the the female AVENGER movable action figures to the boxes of pre-packaged action figures for the growing number of girls for whom just dressing up a fashion doll doesn’t cut it anymore. Please promote the female action figure along with the other four Avenger action figures.
Generally, toy and clothing companies who license children’s merchandise tend to lean on the excuse that “boys don’t like shirts with girls on them/girl action figures,” but we’d like to think that putting Black Widow in the action figure pack with the rest of the Avengers is exactly how that self-fulfilling prophesy gets broken.
And yes, we know that Black Widow isn’t the only Avenger missing from the action figure pack and team merchandise, but we don’t think the addition of one female team member in an effort to send children positive messages about gender is too much to ask. So just think about that if you feel tempted to ask, “What about the men Hawk Guy?”
It’s… *sniff* Hawkeye.
*If you hadn’t noticed that phenomenon: welcome to The Mary Sue, strange traveler! How did you get here? Are you lost? What are things like in your bizarre, utopian alternate reality? Also can you take us back there with you?
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