The Movie industry has for the most part traditionally been dominated by leading men as the main role and marketability of the film with women largely featuring in supporting roles.
The same can be said of the superhero movie genre where most, if not all, the main characters were always male. But there is a new wave of female heroines slated for leading roles in upcoming blockbuster comic book adoptions with enough regularity to suggest that the tide may finally be turning.
Coupled with the success of hit movie Wonder Woman, female actors are now beginning to get bigger characters to play more often.
Wonder Woman, One off hit or the Start of a Trend?
A good place to start is with the hugely successful Wonder Woman, which earned rave reviews and grossed over $100 million in ticket sales during its opening weekend.
Such a large figure is a huge amount for any film in Hollywood and one which many producers and directors would regard as an unqualified success. The success of Wonder Woman is even more important not only because of the large budget required to make the film, but because of the female lead and director as well.
It may be that in the past Hollywood bosses may have been less likely to approve big budget films with female leads but Wonder Woman becoming a hit has erased any of those preconceptions.
From Tomb Raider to Captain Marvel, Ant Man and Suicide Squad, there are now more and more female lead roles being created and that can only be a good thing. The progress has made its way into other parts of pop culture, including Tomb Raider Slots games on online casino sites, apparel, and merchandising of all kinds.
And there’s more good news for gender equality advocates as the latest wave of heroines start to appear on our big screens.
This would suggest that Wonder Woman will not turn out to be an anomaly, but rather the norm as women actors start to get top billing in the same way as their male counterparts.
Female Empowerment get a Boost from long list of Leading Women and Heroines
One of the main aspects required in creating female empowerment is the need for women role models. While there are without doubt a number of strong and successful women that young children can look up to as role models, the portrayal of women in film still lags behind.
The list of female heroines and leading actresses in upcoming films includes Tilda Swinton, who will play The Ancient One in Dr. Strange, and Leslie Uggams who plays Blind AI in Deadpool.
At the same time, the DC Comics-based American Superhero film Suicide Squad features Viola Davis (Amanda Waller), Cara Delevingne (Enchantress), as well as Margot Robbie, who plays Harley Quinn.
There are a number of notable names that can be added to that list, including Lea Seydoux who is set to play Bella Donna Boudreaux in Gambit showing that Wonder Woman is more than just a flash in the pan.
The power of film cannot be underestimated and its importance and ability to influence reflect and our way of life cannot be ignored. This is why the emergence of more female superheroes and leading actors is important, be it providing a wider array of role models or simply giving women equal opportunities, some progress seems to finally being made.
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