- Tatiana Maslany told the Guardian that she doesn't like the term "strong female lead."
- She said the label is frustrating because it lacks nuance and "it's a box that nobody fits into."
Marvel star Tatiana Maslany admitted that she doesn't like the term "strong female lead" because it is "reductive."
Maslany plays the latest woman superhero to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the upcoming Disney+ series "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law," which premieres on Thursday.
In an interview with The Guardian, Maslany said that she found the "strong female lead" label "frustrating" because it lacks nuance.
The term is used to describe characters that reject the "damsel in distress" trope by being the hero in movies or television shows.
"It's reductive. It's just as much a shaving off of all the nuances, and just as much of a trope," Maslany said. "It's a box that nobody fits into. Even the phrase is frustrating. It's as if we're supposed to be grateful that we get to be that."
The "Orphan Black" star added that she looks forward to a time when there isn't such a big deal made about women superheroes.
"I'm really interested in when these [marginalized] voices get to speak without it being like: 'Oh my God, it's all women,' or, 'Oh my God, this is a story about a queer couple,' and those stories become as innately expected as they are now special," Maslany said.
While there were several women superheroes introduced in the movies leading up to "Avengers: Infinity War," Brie Larson was the first Marvel actor to star in her own superhero movie, "Captain Marvel," in 2019.
However, over the last year, the MCU has become more diverse with the release of "Black Widow" starring Scarlett Johansson, and three Disney+ series with women as lead characters.
Maslany added that the "celebration of female friendship" is what drew her to the role of She-Hulk.
"What made me go: 'Oh OK, this feels fresh and surprising,' is that it feels deeply – if I can use a binary term – feminine," the Canadian actress said. "There's a girliness to it. That word is often used as a derisive term, but to me, there's a celebration of female friendship in 'She-Hulk' that's really fun."