
There's no shortage of superhero stories these days, thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, DC films, and comic book-inspired TV shows. While some have superhuman strength or otherworldly powers, they all fight to protect the public and stop villains from carrying out their evil plans. Scroll down to see some of our favorite female superheroes, who've collectively saved the world more times than we can count. (Note: There are no Endgame spoilers ahead, but there are spoilers for some of the other Marvel films.) (Photos via Warner Bros. Pictures + Marvel Studios + Sergei Bachlakov/The CW)
Captain Marvel, MCU: We can thank Oscar winner Brie Larson for bringing Captain Marvel, AKA Carol Danvers, to life. She's one of the fiercest superheroes around — the one even other heroes call in when they need help, as we saw at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. The character's solo film broke records at the box office and made a huge impact on the movie's star, too. Larson opened up about the role in March 2019, saying that portraying Captain Marvel changed her life. "In particular, getting strong, learning how to stand my ground, own myself, and value my voice. Those are things that I learned from her," she said. "I've been very open about the fact [that] I'm an introvert, I have asthma, and I was able to push myself further than I thought possible. I'm excited to share her with the world." (Photo via Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios)
Black Widow, MCU: Another kickass female superhero from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Widow first popped up in Iron Man 2 (2010) before joining the team in The Avengers (2012) and again in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). You can also watch her trying to save the world in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). And if that's not enough — seriously, this is one busy lady — the character is finally getting a movie of her very own, too. (Photo via Film Frame/Marvel Studios)
Scarlet Witch, MCU: Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch, AKA Wanda Maximoff, didn't start out as a superhero, but after some evil-doer's experiments gave her powers, she was quickly caught up in the action. It didn't take long for her to switch sides and fight with and for the Avengers. She'll soon be getting her own Disney+ series with her on-screen love interest, Vision, aptly titled WandaVision. (Photo via Film Frame/Marvel Studios)
Gamora, MCU: Gamora, played by Zoe Saldana, is another character that started as a potential villain, but it turned out in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film that she was just trying to get away from her evil adoptive father, Thanos. Despite all of her efforts, she suffered a sad fate because of Thanos during Avengers: Infinity War, when he sacrificed her so he could obtain a Soul Stone that he needed to gain even more power. (Photo via Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios)
Valkyrie, MCU: None of the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are without complicated — and often tragic — backstories, and that includes Valkyrie, who first showed up in Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Played by Tessa Thompson, the fearless Asgardian warrior is the last of her kind. And although she captured Thor and handed him over to the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), she quickly found her way to the good side, where she helped Thor save his people from Hela. (Photo via Marvel Studios)
Wasp, MCU: While she may not be one of the biggest Marvel superheroes — in terms of both fame and actual size — the Wasp is still capable of creating a buzz. Evangeline Lilly took on the MCU role opposite Paul Rudd, who played Ant-Man in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). Their missions tend to be more personal than world-saving, but she gets extra-credit for her time and space-bending scientific breakthroughs. (Photo via Ben Rothstein/Marvel Studios)
Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman: Wonder Woman, played by former Fast and Furious franchise film star Gal Gadot, is a DC Comics character, but she kicks butt just as hard as the MCU crew. In fact, she (practically singlehandedly) saved the world in her 2017 movie, and she'll likely do so again in the follow-up film Wonder Woman 1984, which is scheduled to hit theaters in 2020. (Photo via Warner Bros. Pictures)
Supergirl, Supergirl: Melissa Benoist has been saving the world for four (going on five) seasons on The CW. She's battled countless evil forces, both human and otherwise, while also facing anti-extraterrestrial bigotry. (Photo via Sergei Bachlakov/The CW)
Killer Frost, The Flash: Danielle Panabaker plays Dr. Caitlin Snow and her complicated alter ego, Killer Frost, who has been both villain and hero during the CW series' run. A meta-human with extraordinary powers, she struggles with who is she (and isn't) while occasionally teaming up with Team Flash to defeat evil. (Photo via Jeff Weddell/The CW)
Speedy, Arrow: Played by Willa Holland, Speedy is the younger sister of Oliver Queen, AKA the Green Arrow. Like her brother, she's a vigilante with a knack for archery, and although Holland exited the show in season 6, she did more than her fair share of defending the Arrow-verse against evil. (Photo via Daniel Power/The CW)
Batwoman, Arrow-verse: Ruby Rose is suiting up to play Batwoman in the new Arrow-verse series from The CW and Warner Bros. Television. While the show hasn't premiered yet, the character was introduced to fans during the CW's crossover event in December 2018. (Photo via Jack Rowand/The CW)
Jessica Jones, Jessica Jones: Krysten Ritter starred as Marvel's Jessica Jones for two seasons on Netflix. A look at the often-dark life of the former superhero who opened her own detective agency — and still has her fair share of impressive abilities — the series showed her ability to survive, thrive, and kick ass. (Photo via David Giesbrecht/Netflix)