My question is... Why? Other than it would be awesome to some for obvious reasons. But... okay other than that what in terms of the narrative in a film that is gonna have about as many plot threads to juggle as IW did justifies this?
Not entirely show how this would work at the script level, as the issue of race really has only been effectively addressed in the MCU with Black Panther, but if the creative team can come up with a feminism scene that is, while obviously contrived, still works well, they can do something for the black characters too.
I think it was a huge missed opportunity to not have Rhodey and Falcon actually marvel at Wakanda and take in the scenery. I'd imagine that the same sort of reaction and feelings a lot of black audiences got seeing
Black Panther would definitely apply here in some way, and it would at least underscore the significance of Wakanda in-universe as more than just being a strategic military locale with cool technology. I don't necessarily expect an entire movie or plot thread based on it in the context of something as big as
Infinity War, but at least a reaction shot and a stray comment from either of them would've been nice and actually give them a bit of emotional depth that neither (particularly Falcon) has really gotten. (Surely there's tons of subtext to be mined from the idea of two African American military members coming "home" to help defend an untouched African country from invasion and potential destruction.) Rhodes seemed to hold a particular degree of respect and even reverence for T'Challa in
Civil War, so I'd imagine his reaction to Wakanda would be a reasonable through-line from that last encounter that wouldn't have to come across as "contrived".
I can see how that could come off as a "feminist" moment but I took more as the Russos a paying off the moment in CW where Panther steps in between Okoye and Natasha.
That was Ayo in
Civil War, not Okoye. I was actually surprised they didn't pay off that standoff in a more direct way; you pretty much just had Ayo eyeing Black Widow when the Avengers were getting off the quinjet while Widow seemed to just try to avoid direct eye contact with the Dora Milaje overall.
What was that scene symbolic of? Did it work as anything other than three fighters fighting another fighter? I'm not sure that it did. I find the vague feminist undertones in superhero movies mostly vacuous. Wonder Woman was hailed as some sort of statement of female empowerment, yet her defining characteristics were that's she's stronger than any man - something no woman could ever hope to achieve - and she wears a skimpy outfit. I would consider someone like Jemma Simmons a far more powerful female role model than some petite warrior woman* that can magically overpower men thrice her size because muh feminism.
*I'm thinking Okoye and Black Widow not Wonder Woman
It doesn't have to be a huge overt statement for it to count as feminism. The fact that you had three women with different skill sets, abilities, and backgrounds teaming up onscreen for even a brief moment in the overall battle -- in a genre where you usually just see the guys doing their thing (especially after 18 movies and at least a decade in the MCU alone) -- is enough of a statement for the moment. (Of course a Jemma Simmons or Shuri also counts; feminist ideals can be multifaceted.)
Also, side note, you don't have to be bigger or stronger than your opponents to beat them in a fight. Just have the skills and ability to hit them in the right place.
