The Fargo Character Issa Rae Channeled Into Her Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Role
One of the coolest thing about "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is that it introduces a multiverse of Spider-People, which means there's a Spider-Person out there for everyone to identify with. "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" introduced a couple of fun new Spider-Folks, including Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), and Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage), but the sequel ups the ante, giving spider-fans a whole slew of characters to love and see themselves in.
One character is so unique that the actor playing her had to look well outside of superhero cinema for inspiration: Issa Rae's Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman, who is heavily pregnant and still crime-fighting. She's the first visibly pregnant superhero in a big blockbuster film, and she's a total badass who rides a motorcycle and doesn't hide behind a secret identity. So who did Rae look to for inspiration for this unique and impressive character? None other than Frances McDormand's Marge Gunderson from the Coen Brothers' 1996 dark comedy, "Fargo." While it might be hard to see the throughline between a Minnesota police chief and a superhero from the multiverse, Rae is definitely onto something.
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is currently playing in theaters nationwide.
'Oh, I just think I'm gonna barf'
In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Rae revealed that she looked to McDormand's Oscar-winning role, as both she and Jessica Drew are heavily pregnant crime fighters:
"I was thinking about 'Fargo.' She doesn't count as a superhero. But she was a crimefighter. And I remember just being deathly afraid that something was going to happen to her and not having the same worry in this movie. She's a superhuman. So I felt less concerned for her well-being, but I also was just like, 'This is kind of crazy that she's just out here kicking a** while pregnant.'"
In "Fargo," Marge's safety is always in question. She manages to survive partly because of her skills and determination and partly because of blind luck, but she's entirely human and surrounded by dangerous criminals. With Spider-Woman, there's a lot less worry about her safety, but she is still going up against serious baddies. There are stories in history about women going to battle while pregnant — particularly Catherine of Aragon, who purportedly rallied the troops at Flodden while armored and heavily pregnant — but they are few and far between. There are many more stories of pregnant people being heroic in more mundane ways, but it's nice to see a superhero that's still so powerful while pregnant.
Positive pregnant representation
Pregnancy has a weird place in many cultures, as the pregnant person seems to be thought of as more fragile or needing protection because of their baby-carrying state. It's frustrating and can lead to discrimination against anyone who could get pregnant because it's sometimes believed that once they're pregnant, the rest of their life will stop. Both Marge and Spider-Woman prove that's a bunch of malarkey, as they continue to fight crime and do good well into their third trimesters. They're also both fascinating portraits of motherhood, as they both transfer their maternal instincts onto the people around them, protecting and caring for the whole world while also nurturing new life in their bodies. They're mother goddesses, total badasses, and deserving of intense celebration. Being pregnant is different for everyone, but seeing this kind of positive representation might help change some antiquated ideas about pregnant people.
There is one other potential upside to Spider-Woman's appearance in "Across the Spider-Verse": the possibility of a Spider-Baby at some point. Just imagine how cute a wee web-slinger would be! We'll have to wait and see, and check out "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," now in theaters.