MCU’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has proven to be another successful entry in the series, with the show set to conclude on October 13, 2022, and bringing down the curtain on Phase Four TV shows. Jennifer Walters has been a worthy addition to the female MCU roster, and there are plenty of other notable ones that have been introduced or expanded upon in this phase.
These characters range from long-running ones like Natasha Romanoff to newer heroes such as Maya Lopez. Their arcs have had a multifaceted quality, dealing with themes like revenge, trauma, regrets, and empowerment. It’s worth looking at the Phase Four female characters to see which ones had the richest forms of storytelling.
Jennifer Walters
While there are several MCU characters who can beat She-Hulk, the point of her arc isn’t about her physical strength. Instead, Jen’s story revolves around her climbing the legal ladder and gaining the respect she has earned by putting up with constant injustices against her.
Jen’s story has evolved from simply living as She-Hulk to proving her worth in court and juggling being a superhero. Jen’s story touches on real-life struggles women have to put up with, which makes her relatable and worth following even though her arc is still in its early stages.
Monica Rambeau
Monica’s arc will truly come into its own in WandaVision established her primary characterization in that she feels the need to save everyone because she couldn’t be there for her mother when she died of cancer.
Monica’s story also involves learning to separate the gray area between good and bad, as she learned how Scarlet Witch’s emotional trauma affected her psyche. Monica’s next adventure has already been set up, with the character departing for space at the end of WandaVision.
Kate Bishop
Kate’s arc in Hawkeye was essentially to open her eyes to the evils in the world happening right in front of her. She went from an excitable but naive young woman to a master archer after training under Clint Barton’s wing, having the maturity to turn her mother in for her crimes.
Kate learned not to take things at face value, as the realization that the seemingly shady Jack Duquesne was never a bad person made her see how naive she used to be. Kate’s still not out of her protege role, but Hawkeye has established her well enough to become a hero in her own right.
Yelena Belova
Yelena’s time in the series has been about learning to let go even if she doesn’t want to. Black Widow depicted her reconciliation with Natasha and her family, which enabled her to get over her anger at them. However, Natasha’s death opened another story of revenge that culminated in Hawkeye.
Yelena once more had to let go after she was forced to accept that Clint had nothing to do with Natasha’s death. Yelena’s arc has been about her gradually easing down in personality, as the trauma of being a Black Widow is slowly dissipating to give her a sense of independence.
Sylvie Laufeydottir
Sylvie has been a constant work in progress and hasn’t been able to come to with her situation. This has made her a complex character who is driven by rage but channels it into sly and sneaky methods. Sylvie’s bid for revenge at the TVA’s removal of her life has ultimately led to her threatening the entire multiverse.
Her arc has been about wrestling with her emotions, ranging from her feelings for Loki, her confusion with what He Who Remains planned for her, and if her mission is even worth continuing with. Sylvie might be all over the place with her intentions, but that’s what makes her story so layered.
Maya Lopez
Maya Lopez proved why she was a female MCU character who deserved her own series through her arc in Hawkeye. It was primarily about coming to with the death of her father and the way she was simply a pawn in the larger game of Kingpin and the underworld.
Maya’s arc has seen her go from an angry and bitter person into someone who has let go of the vengeance that had plagued her, even if she did so reluctantly. With so much to speculate about her whereabouts now, it’s understandable why the MCU will flesh her character out completely in the Echo series.
Xu Xialing
Xialing has had one of the most remarkable turnarounds for an MCU character, having gone from basically being under house arrest from her father to now controlling his criminal empire. She started out helpless and alone after Shang-Chi abandoned her, ultimately becoming an independent person who could fight her own battles.
Xialing’s arc was to prove she wasn’t someone to be underestimated as her father had done so all her life - she aided Shang-Chi in protecting Ta Lo and commanded such authority by the end that the place that once made her feel trapped was now under her control.
Jane Foster
It’s a shame that Jane ed away just when she’d returned to the MCU after many years. But the character got a complete storyline that ticked all the right boxes. Jane developed from being frightened at her imminent death to accepting it to save Thor’s life (and the life of every god in the universe) in turn.
She was able to reconcile with Thor and put several years' worth of regrets to rest, going so far that she became worthy of wielding Mjolnir and dying an Asgardian death. Jane got the peace that she never thought she could attain, so her death was ultimately well-earned.
Natasha Romanoff
While Natasha might not be the most powerful female MCU character, she might just be the most iconic. Her turn in Phase Four completed her entire arc, as Natasha was able to reconcile with her family and prove she could do just fine without the Avengers.
The greatest development for her was to have the opportunity to make up for the creation of Taskmaster, with Natasha also able to liberate all the Black Widows. She went from holding decades' worth of regrets to owning up to her mistakes and redeeming herself.
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch is easily the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness made her a completely tragic character.
Scarlet Witch’s arc has been about dealing with terrible loss and not having the proper environment to cope with her depression. Although she ruined many lives along the way, Scarlet Witch still remains sympathetic for never getting a break in life. There continue to be many possible story angles for her in the future, which proves just how interesting Scarlet Witch has remained throughout.