Sandra Bullock was one of the top grossing stars of 2013. She's ranked fourth in Vulture's list of most valuable movie stars. She starred in two of the big hits of last year, Gravity and The Heat. And at 49, she's unlikely to play a superhero.

Superheroing is a young person's gig. Except, Robert Downey Jr. was in his 40s when he first played Iron Man. The same is true for Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, Don Cheadle as War Machine, and Paul Rudd in next year's Ant-Man. Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and Samuel L. Jackson were all in their 50s when they put on the proverbial capes. There are roles for all of these actors that no-one blinks an eye at. Yet the oldest woman to originate a superhero role is Halle Berry, who was 38 when she played Catwoman.

Are there no superheroes that could be played by a woman over the age of 40? We can accept an Ant-Man in his 40s; can we do the same for Batwoman, Spider-Woman, Sue Storm or Zatanna? Where is the superhero for Diane Lane, Salma Hayek, or Rachel Weisz? Why isn't Monica Bellucci already in the movies as Contessa Valentina de Fontaine? Where is Sandra Bullock's Iron Man?