More action roles are being filled by women

There have been many action stars such as Indiana Jones, James Bond, Superman, Valkyrie, Okoye, or Wonder Woman. The latter three have become more evident in film in just the last year.

After decades of films concentrating on male heroes, there are finally more female heroes from which to choose. Since the 1960s, James Bond would save the day while his ladies, labeled as “Bond Girls,” were on the sidelines. In this years "Black Panther," or last years "Wonder Woman," the women were fighting more than the men. In a line from "Thor: Ragnarok," the main character and Norse God, Thor expresses his admiration for the Valkyrie, “You know, I used to want to be a Valkyrie when I was younger until I found out you were all women.”

The Heroes Duties

But violence is not how a hero becomes thus.

A common plot that is often used in action films or superhero stories is the one where the hero stops the villain from destroying things. While the woman would play dumb and use her looks to distract, the male superhero would often be the one to stop the bad guy and take the glory for saving everyone.

The recent boom in superhero films has included many female characters who aren’t actually the dumb ones. They are The Heroes that are saving everyone, that are facing the dangers and getting their hands dirty.

What does this change mean?

I think this shift shows that women have more uses than just sitting quietly, looking pretty. In the past films have had women doing menial tasks, but that doesn’t reflect real life.

Of course, in real life, men were not kicking butt and detonating bombs but the general public has been influenced by the gender bias in these films.

Not anymore, with this recent shift, more women are writing and producing and filling other behind the scenes roles, it means that there will be more representation of different people.

Of course, a woman can be a general of a king’s army. Of course, a woman can be part of an advisory board during a time of conflict for their country. Of course, a woman can save lives.

The box office shows that viewers agree. Men, women, adults, and kids are all enjoying seeing more of a balance between male and female characters in hero roles.

Little kids often dress up to play the hero. There was a wide array of male characters to choose from but there is this wonderful shift. More films are being considered with more female-driven stories and heroes. I believe this will help facilitate the shift in attitudes about gender roles.