This past weekend, Disney’s “Captain Marvel” hauled in $153 million in American ticket sales, making it the seventh best opening weekend of any of the 21 recent Marvel movies.
“Captain Marvel” is is the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise with a female superhero as the star. DC-Warner Bros. first grazed the glass ceiling with “Wonder Woman” in 2017, but “Captain Marvel” proved even stronger as it brought in $50 million more than the Gal Gadot-led film.
The movie resonated positively among audiences, garnering an 80 percent approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes. Clearly, a large majority of viewers enjoyed the film. Yet, as with all movies, there were critics.
Perhaps the most audacious critic is Greg Morse, a staff writer for John Piper’s “Desiring God” website, a fairly popular online Christian publication. Upon seeing “Captain Marvel,” Morse wrote a lengthy article on the website outlining the ways the film pushes an unbiblical feminist agenda.
For example, one component of Morse’s criticism is the film has a detrimental effect on young girls because it may cause them to reject the typical Disney princess tales.
“Instead of engaging the movie’s ideology as mere fiction, a fun escape to another world, we have allowed it to be deadly fruit on earth,” Morse wrote. “Along with Disney, we abandon the traditional princess vibe, and seek to empower little girls to be strong like men.”
The heroine in the film, Carol Danvers, is clearly different than the typical princesses of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. As Relevant Magazine notes, “for one thing, she is not asleep during the movie’s climax.” However, what apparently gets Morse up in arms is the foolish notion of a female character who does not need saving.
How awful for Marvel to actually allow women to think they, like men, can be superheroes.
The article is nauseating to read, especially as a fellow Christian and even more so as a woman. I will not be belittled down to a pretty face with a timid personality and shiny glass slippers, and I will not allow the same to happen to other women.
Contrary to what Morse believes, the Bible depicts strong women numerous times. Take the prophet Deborah in the book of Judges, who was so valiant her commander actually refused to fight in battle without her. There is also Jael, who can be found in the same chapter. Jael assassinated one of Israel’s enemies while he slept.
Morse even dares to bring up Christian author C.S. Lewis to support his claims, but it seems Morse forgot Lewis included two young girls depicted as battle warriors in “The Chronicles of Narnia” series.
Morse goes on to defend his opinion by describing women as precious, tender creatures who should not have to fight or show grit. He claims men have a God-given duty to protect women and shield them from difficult situations.
Women are certainly precious, and I know many women with tender, loving hearts, but this does not mean they cannot or should not be strong. Women have the right to be whatever they want.
A woman has the desire to stay home and care for her children? Great, this is her God-given calling. She should embrace it.
A woman has the desire to enlist in the armed forces and defend the freedoms of her country? Wonderful, this is her God-given calling. She should embrace it.
Our callings are not all the same, and I do not believe God hands out certain callings based on sex. God views all of us and each of our gifts equally––none is greater than another.
Women can be lawyers, doctors, warriors, MMA fighters, professional athletes, and they can also be kindergarten teachers, nannies or stay-at-home moms.
If you consider yourself a Christian and support Morse’s statements, shame on you. God gives us all gifts, and those gifts are meant to serve Him regardless of if they are “traditional” for our sex.
As for “Captain Marvel,” I find it refreshing for young girls to have another strong, female character to look up to. They need characters like these to give them hope as they fight stereotypes attempting to hold them back.
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