Come up with a new theory why Elektra and Catwoman failed.
No brand recognition or marketing along with them being just terrible.
Lack of brand recognition is a far more plausible theory. Of course, it doesn't have an easy solution.
Sole exception? Really? The Hunger Games franchise is the only one you can think of that's been successful?
I'm basing my claim off this chart. Hunger Games is the only female-fronted action film to come close to the success of the successful male-fronted franchises -- and it appears to lack sustaining power, as the third one made significantly less than the first two.
Alien (1979)
Horror film.
Aliens (1986)
Only made $85 million.
Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003) Kill Bill Volume 2 (2004)
Made $70 and $66 million respectively.
Gravity (2013)
Drama.
Lucy (2014)
Made $126 million.
Salt (2010)
Made $118 million.
One interesting example for a long running franchise is Underworld, which generally is not well received, but managed to get three (soon to be four) sequels all staring a woman. Well, I'm assuming that, since the first one made money, the studio allowed another one to be made. It was still panned by critics, but it still made money.
Underworld is the perfect example of why these calls for female superhero movies are so tone deaf. Underworld is essentially a female superhero series and it has almost no female fans. Because the films are fairly low budget, they've been modestly successful, but Marvel is clearly not interested in making lower budget, moderately successful films when they could be making higher budget films that bring in close to a billion dollars.
Then there's another example in the Resident Evil franchise, which is generally panned by critics and fans alike, but still makes money.
Yeah, RE would be my other example of the inability of female fronted action films to bring in female audiences.
If the argument is that Marvel could make lower-budget female-fronted action films heavy on sex appeal and violence and attract a smaller portion of the male audience, then you won't get any argument from me. There just doesn't seem to be any particular reason for Marvel to chase after small potatoes when they own properties capable of bringing in billion dollar paydays.
Do you know why Guardians of the Galaxy was so successful?
Because it's Star Wars.