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DC Comics promises 'more superhero fun for girls' after letter from young feminist goes viral

Rowan wrote to the publisher about the lack of female superheroes

Jess Denham
Wednesday 04 February 2015 10:09 GMT
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Wonder Woman was played by Lynda Carter in the TV series and will get her own movie in 2017
Wonder Woman was played by Lynda Carter in the TV series and will get her own movie in 2017

DC Comics has promised to create “more superhero fun for girls” after a letter from an 11-year-old feminist went viral.

Comic book fan Rowan wrote to the publisher after growing fed up of the lack of female superheroes and determining to take matters into her own hands (read full letter below).

In her message, uploaded by blog How Did We Get Into This Mess with permission from both Rowan and her parents, she criticises the use of “pink and purple” as supposed female colours and insists that she would love the comics “a whole lot more if there were more girls”.

Rowan also compared DC Comics to rival Marvel, arguing that “Marvel made a movie about a talking tree and raccoon awesome [Guardians of the Galaxy] but you haven’t made a movie with Wonder Woman”.

After Rowan’s letter was picked up by various news outlets and shared on social media, DC Comics responded via its official Twitter account.

Rowan will have to wait two years until Warner Bros brings Wonder Woman to the big screen with Gal Gadot starring in the lead. She will appear in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice but not see her solo movie until the following year.

Last December, director Michelle MacLaren revealed that the film’s future remains in flux as there is no script or release date as of yet.

MacLaren will be the first female director of a mainstream comic book movie in a long time – Patty Jenkins came close to directing 2013’s Thor: The Dark World but left to be replaced by Alan Taylor.

Rowan's letter to DC Comics

Dear DC comics,

My name is Rowan and I am 11 years old. I love superheroes and have been reading comics and watching superhero cartoons and movies since I was very young. I'm a girl, and I'm upset because there aren't very many girl superheroes or movies and comics from DC.

For my birthday, I got some of your Justice League Chibis. I noticed in the little pamphlet that there are only 2 girl Chibis, and 10 boys. Also, the background for the girl figures was all pink and purple. I remember watching Justice League cartoons when I was really young with my dad. There are Superman and Batman movies, but not a Wonder Woman one. You have a Flash TV show, but not a Wonder Woman one. Marvel Comics made a movie about a talking tree and raccoon awesome, but you haven't made a movie with Wonder Woman.

I would really like a Hawkgirl or Catwoman or the girls of the Young Justice TV show action figures please. I love your comics, but I would love them a whole lot more if there were more girls. I asked a lot of the people I know whether they watched movies or read books or comics where girls were the main characters, they all said yes.

Please do something about this. Girls read comics too and they care.

Sincerely, Rowan

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