This week Supergirl opens in theaters. It’s another entry in the new DC under James Gunn, this one finding Mlily Alcock as the titular superhero. In honor of its release, this week’s Binge looks at previous films focused on female heroes. Films appear in chronological order.

Supergirl (1984)
About: This was a film in the Superman run of Christopher Reeve, though he doesn’t appear. Helen Slater stars as his cousin, the titular Supergirl, in a cast that includes Peter O’Toole and Faye Dunaway. It’s also awful and preposterous. It sets a low bar for the new one.

Elektra (2005)
About: Jennifer Garner takes the lead in this one, which was kind of a spin-off of the Daredevil film starring Ben Affleck. Fun fact, I saw this in the theater, and they reversed the reels in the middle of the film. It didn’t impact my being able to follow the plot. They tried to redeem Elektra a bit by including her in the last Deadpool film, but this isn’t great.

Wonder Woman (2017)
About: Patty Jenkins delivered this original film for Gal Gadot’s take on the character, introduced as part of the Synderverse version of D.C. This stands out as one of the better films of that run and was a great introduction for this character. Gadot and Chris Pine are a lot of fun here. The sequel didn’t match the heights of the first, but this is a fun film.

Captain Marvel (2019)
About: This film got mixed reviews. I liked the 1990 setting, and I enjoyed Brie Larson in the lead role. Her back-and-forth with Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury was also fun. There was a lot riding on this, as it ended up being the last piece before Endgame. That might not have helped its reception, but I think it’s actually under-rated.

Black Widow (2021)
About: This should have come out years earlier, but delays forced it to appear after the big conclusion for Scarlett Johansson’s character in Endgame. That hurts this film a little, but it’s another entry that I think gets more hate than it deserves. I like Johansson in this role, and I like her opposite Florence Pugh in this film.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.