Marvel is far from the only franchise reckoning with its past treatment of female characters as it tries to market itself as a hub of inclusive story-telling. But it has seemingly become more deliberate in its treatment of female characters. “I think there is a conscientious effort to not objectify women,” says Victoria Alonso, executive vice president of production at Marvel Studios.
Shows like Scandal and Girls ignited a conversation about what women could and couldn’t do onscreen, but they also marked a new era behind the camera: the rise of the female showrunner. Their saturation of popular culture convinced streaming services starting to generate their own original content that female television writers, once considered “risky,” might be worthwhile hires.

The Silence Breakers

Eliana DocktermanHaley Sweetland EdwardsStephanie Zacharek / Time Magazine
When movie stars don't know where to go, what hope is there for the rest of us? What hope is there for the janitor who's being harassed by a co-worker but remains silent out of fear she'll lose the job she needs to support her children? For the administrative assistant who repeatedly fends off a superior who won't take no for an answer? For the hotel housekeeper who never knows, as she goes about replacing towels and cleaning toilets, if a guest is going to corner her in a room she can't escape?