6. Pepper Potts (Iron Man)
Pepper Potts might have started out as infamous businessman Tony Stark’s assistant but it certainly doesn’t remain that way. It was only a matter of time before Potts’ ingenuity and warm heart had her on the way up. She gets promoted to CEO of Stark Enterprises, fiscally managing it better than Tony ever could. She’s a great example of how women can make excellent leaders.
Eventually, the two develop a romantic relationship, proving that although he goes by the name ‘Iron Man’, his heart certainly isn’t as cold as steel. Although she may not always get the credit, none of Iron Man’s triumphs would be possible without her.
It doesn’t end there though, In Iron Man 3, Pepper gets the chance to play the hero for a change and saves Tony’s life in a climactic final battle. It’s great seeing the shoe on the other foot and Robert Downey Jr. makes for a great damsel in distress.
Check out Iron Man and all its sequels with Amazon Video.
5. Katherine Johnson (Hidden Figures)
Hidden Figures is an inspiring story based on true events, a tale about three African-American women in the NASA program in the early 1960s. Katherine Johnson was forced to bear the full front of not one but two discriminatory factors during her journey. Space was no place for women and certainly not for black people.
Johnson never let that dissuade her from striving for her dreams and she finally gets the chance to showcase her ability to excel in an unwelcoming environment. Hidden Figures had the power to be a feel-good movie while simultaneously addressing an important social subject.
Watch Hidden Figures through Amazon Video.
4. Mulan
Szechuan sauce jokes aside, there’s plenty reason why Mulan still has such a big cultural impact two decades later. To stop her elderly father from having to war, Mulan disguises herself as a man by cutting her hair and taking her father’s old armor, then joins the Chinese army. She survives the extremely intense training before the war and even after her identity is found out she still carries on by taking on the Hun army, alone.
Mulan has incredible bravery and strength and sets a great example for young girls watching Disney movies who don’t just want to be a princess. As if you needed any more reason to watch it again, Mulan still sports one of the best Disney original songs of all time. That will be enough to preoccupy us until the live-action Mulan is released in 2020.
Watch the Disney movie through Amazon Video.