On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jessica Jones star Krysten Ritter talked about why her character is such an important addition to Marvel's superheroes — and why it's still not enough.
"Jessica Jones has a very traumatic past," she explained. "She is a survivor of rape and abuse. But her journey through the show is not letting that define her. Everything that's happened to her, she still muscles through and finds her full potential and conquers the guy that abused her."
Colbert mentioned criticism that the Marvel universe is a "sausage fest," citing a female Iron Man 3 villain that was changed to the male character Aldrich Killian, because the franchise believed it would sell more toys.
"Girls can sell toys," Ritter said, resolving to make some phone calls to make sure there's a Jessica Jones toy.
She also talked about her childhood on a farm among Amish people who held livestock auctions, saying they somehow knew what "the best cow" was.
"How come you don't know the best cow?" Colbert joked.
"Look at me. Do you think I know the best cow?" she asked him.
"I believe that girls are capable of anything," he responded, eliciting applause from the audience.
This summer, we're celebrating the biggest movie season of the year with a new series called Blockbust-HER. We'll be looking at everything film-related from the female perspective, interviewing major players in the industry and discussing where Hollywood is doing right by women and where (all too often) it is failing them. And now...let's go to the movies!