What is the Marvel universe without its women? We’re not quite sure what kind of universe it is, but it certainly ain’t one we have any interest in being a part of. This is because they are so crucial – and so formidable – and so beautiful, all at the same time when they do their business that it is truly quite impossible to imagine a Marvel universe with the presence of the women.
We have seen countless awesome super-heroines take charge on the battlefield, from the Black Widow to The Invisible Woman, and every time there is a stellar actress in the driver seat of these character’s core personas. We recognize the characters, but who are the women behind the masks?
Here are 29 Marvel women superheroes – some of whom you know and love, and some of whom may not know. In addition to their on screen personas, sit back as we pull down the curtain and show you what their real life counterparts are up to.
Kate Mara as The Invisible Woman
Who here knows about the Fantastic Four? Well it doesn’t matter either way, because we only want to talk about one of them. And it’s not Johnny Storm, nor is it “The Thing”.
It’s Sue Storm, or The Invisible Woman, played by Kate Mara in the movie adaptation of the Marvel Comic. While the the only female of the team, Storm is by no means the weakest. In addition to her ability to render herself invisible at will, she also has the power to emanate strong force fields of energy.
Kate Mara in real life
Kate is a young rising star in Hollywood, appearing on screen in places such as TV hit drama series House of Cards, as well as biographical thriller film 127 Hours.
She also starred alongside Matt Damon in the thriller film The Martian. As far as her dating life goes, she was actually just recently married to Jamie Bell, her co-star on Fantastic Four who acts as “The Thing”. Mara lives in Los Angeles, and is also a vegan.
Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde
Ellen Page plays the role of Kitty Pryde in the X-Men films. She first makes an appearance in X3: The Last Stand, and once again in X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Her powers include the ability to run through walls, floors, and ceilings, and she utilizes these abilities to great effect. In The Last Stand, they are in the midst of a fight against the rebel mutants led by Magneto, and she becomes a big part of the X-Men team, guided by Professor X and led by Wolverine.
Ellen Page in real life
If you were into watching movies around the year of 2007, there is a good chance you knew who Ellen Page was before you saw her on X-Men. That’s because she starred in the hit indie film, Juno, about a young girl in high school who becomes pregnant.
She has also appeared on screen elsewhere, such as in the drama The Tracey Fragments, which won her the award for Vancouver Film Critics Best Actress. She also played a big role in the hit sci-fi thriller Inception.
Anna Paquin as Rogue
Like Kitty Pryde, Rogue is also a young mutant who is part of Professor Xavier’s school for mutants, and later joins the X-Men squad in their battle against the rebels in X3: The Last Stand.
But that is not the only thing they have in common – they each have a subsequent fling with Bobby the Iceman, a fellow student at the school. Rogue’s relationship with him is strained, due to her superpower – her involuntary ability to suck various types of energy out of anything she touches.
Anna Paquin in real life
Hailing from New Zealand, Anna Paquin has made her rounds in many Hollywood sets. If you don’t know her as Rogue from X-Men, there is a good chance you know her as a “band-aid” in the hit film Almost Famous, directed by Cameron Crowe.
Or perhaps you’re more of “show about vampires” kind of person, in which case you perhaps know Paquin from the hit TV series True Blood. Wherever you’ve seen her on screen, you have without a doubt been taken in by her tender, yet subtly tenacious disposition.
Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch
There are many dynamic characters in the Marvel universe, and some are more prominent than others. One particular character who recently emerged onto the superhero scene is Wanda Maximoff, also known as the Scarlet Witch.
She is a sorceress, and her powers include the ability to alter the perception of reality for others. She first appeared on screen in Captain America: Winter Soldier, and would later appear again in Avengers: Age of Ultron. This makes sense, considering she is an Avenger as well.
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Elizabeth Olsen in real life
When Olsen isn’t altering the perception of our reality in the Marvel universe, she is doing it in reality as well, by making us think we actually have a chance with her (But hey, some of us can still dream).
Image from Jean_Nelson / Depositphotos
Olsen’s breakout film was in the indie drama thriller Martha Marcy May Marlene, where she received nominations for various awards. Before she made it big in Hollywood, she attended New York University’s Tisch School of Arts.