Amanda Waller is Important
Is Amanda Waller going to be the next Nick Fury where fandom and critics ignore her very important, prominent, and plot pushing place within the overall movie universe of whichever franchise?
Cause I won’t allow it. Amanda Waller is important. She’s not only brilliant, she’s also an important aspect to the overall world DC/WB are trying to build. She represents the government and more than that, normal people. People without powers in a way Bruce can’t because she’s a black woman in power. But her power is different from Bruce’s privilege.
If you want to know more about Amanda Waller you should check out her character history and comic appearances, and read The Vulture’s breakdown (which includes commentary from a good friend and colleague of mine) of Amanda’s character.
I’ve seen critics repeatedly now ignore Amanda for what she is, one of the central figures within the movie. Or simplify her to being “dull” and “grumpy”. Amanda isn’t grumpy! She’s morally gray, and complex and Viola Davis played her perfectly. She will kill others if she has too, but not because she wants to. She doesn’t derive enjoyment out of controlling others, or setting others up for murder, but she does so because she loves her country. She’s fiercely loyal to America and sometimes that means getting dirty. It’s put her at odds with heroes, and sometimes in alliance with them as well.
Amanda Waller is important. She’s a complex black woman in power that’s able to pick apart The Bat. She knows the deepest, darkest secrets of even people like Bruce because that’s her superpower. That’s what she does. Amanda is The Wall between normal people and superpowered people if there needs to be. But she’s not Lex Luthor who allows his own ego to determine his true goals. She’s the opposite, Amanda does care about human life, but is willing to compromise if necessary.
So it makes me a bit buggy to see a discussion of female characters in SSquad that don’t focus or acknowledge Amanda Waller at all. She’s the center of the film more so than Enchantress. Amanda is the reason a majority of the plot happens. It hinges on her guidance, involvement, actions and drive. It’s not Flag who is the leader of the Squad, it’s Amanda first and foremost. She’s the one who brings them together, who provides them with the means to defend their country, who pulls the strings on everything. A majority of the film can not happen without her.
So how can we leave her out of the conversation regarding female characters completely? Amanda is such a good character because she’s not strictly good in the sense of Superman, but she isn’t evil in the sense of Lex either. Amanda operates in a middle ground that separates the villains and heroes and their strict binary. And she’s a black woman without any powers and yet able to go toe-to-toe with those who do on either side. How is that not amazing?
Remember guys, Amanda Waller is important.
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