Recently, there has been a lot of controversy in the media about whether women can act in action films. The obvious answer is yes! There is no doubt that women can own a franchise. The real debate is whether these films really serve to represent women. Undoubtedly, there have been action series where the female characters lacked size and complexity and failed to convey a feminist message. However, for every bad image, there is at least one good one. Mass franchises aren’t going anywhere, and the space for women’s franchises is only growing. While we’re making room for them, let’s revisit the best action movie franchises in which women take the lead.
Alien
If anyone can be considered a role model for female action stars, it is Sigourney Weaver in Alien franchise. Alien is one of the most classic sci-fi franchises in history, the first part of which was released in 1979. Other major franchises of the time were star Wars, Star Trekand James Bond. In a male-dominated genre and industry, it was groundbreaking for Weaver to star in a film of this caliber. Her badass character, Ellen Ripley, is one of the few truly feminist roles in action movie history, as she couldn’t care less about vanity or being likable to her male counterparts. Weaver starred in three more Alien sequels, one of which even earned her an Oscar nomination. She’s definitely the glue that holds Alien series together, because the parts in which Weaver does not play a major role do not even compare to those in which she is.
Lara Croft
It’s unfortunate when you realize that video games have more female protagonists than movies. As such, the decision to adapt popular games into a TV series was quite ingenious and, in turn, spawned action franchises featuring women. One of the first adaptations was Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Although the 2001 film was not a critical success, it made a huge splash at the box office, likely due to its already established fan base. Lara Croft provided amazing roles to actresses of two generations. Angelina Jolie played the main character in the first two tomb Raider films before playing the role later Alicia Vikander in 2018 tomb Raider. The film’s initial success opened the door for more female-focused video game adaptations.
Resident Evil
Following in tomb Raideron the trail, japanese video game Resident Evil was made into a film in 2002 and is still a franchise today. The first six original films starred Milla Jovovich as Alice, a killing machine with superhuman powers that she needs to learn how to control. At one point Resident Evil became the highest grossing series in history based on a video game. Not only did the film have Jovovich as the lead, but the supporting cast also consisted of tough women for much of the franchise. Michelle Rodriguez, Sienna Guilloryand Ali Larter all played an integral role in Resident Evil row. The films have been praised for their accurate representation of gameplay and have spawned a 2021 reboot film and a 2022 Netflix limited series.
Charlie’s Angels
Eternal fairy tale Charlie’s Angels it is a gift that keeps on giving. The story of three women with extraordinary talent and knowledge who become top-secret spies has given nine actresses the opportunity to kick ass over the years. The creator was a TV show from the mid-1970s and one of the first hour-long dramas in television history to feature women. The classic narrative was designed to stand the test of time, and that proved true when the reboot was given the green light more than two decades later. Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu spearheaded a two-film streak that flourished in the melodramatic excess of the early 2000s. While fans have been clamoring for a third installment for years, they got a 2019 remake featuring Kristin Stewart, Ella Balinskaand Naomi Scott instead of. The thread that binds all three generations of the franchise together is the remarkable power of true female friendship.
The Twilight Saga
fame and success Twilight. Saga is an endless loop. It seems that every year there is a resurgence in the popularity of a certain line, scene or character from the series. Part of the attraction lies in the fact that Bella Swan’s main character (Kristin Stewart). Her bumbling tendencies and lack of social skills sounded plausible to a teenage audience, and her entanglement in a whirlwind vampire romance with Edward Cullen was the perfect fodder for escapism. One unique attribute Twilight is that Bella did not participate in any action scenes until the final film. It just goes to show that it doesn’t matter if your main character is an all-powerful crime-fighting heroine. If a woman is well-written, three-dimensional, and has human flaws like Bella, she could be one of the most successful franchises of all time.
Underworld
Speaking of vampires. Underworld franchise stars Kate Beckinsale as an elite undead assassin known as Selena. The films were not successful in the eyes of critics, but if you look at the numbers, it honestly doesn’t matter. The five films have grossed nearly half a billion dollars worldwide and have been in production for 13 years, so give it credit. Beckinsale broke out of her model of starring only romantic comedies and literally became an action figure. Gothic blue visuals Underworld the films started a trend of cold tones that many subsequent fantasy films would follow. Emo vampire style is back, so maybe we’ll be privy to Underworld a reboot any day, or perhaps that Blade crossover we tragically missed.
The Hunger Games
Even in 2012, a franchise involving women was still considered risky. Despite all its predecessors, The Hunger Games was one of the first series aimed at young people, especially girls. With characters like Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), Primula (Willow Shields), Foxface (Jacqueline Emerson), Ryu (Amandla Stenberg) and Joanna Mason (Jena Malone), the films provided a wide range of female representation. The Hunger Games the franchise was very successful (although it admittedly waned by the end of its run). However, the fandom’s (no pun intended) thirst for more has never abated, even though the latest film debuted in 2015. prequel movie, Ballad of songbirds and snakeswill be released in 2023.
Divergent
The early to mid-2010s have been a breeding ground for youth book series adapted into film franchises. Divergent The trilogy was the next to be released and kept the trend of having young women at the helm of history. Shailene Woodley portrayed the protagonist Tris, an outcast who doesn’t fit into any of the dystopian city’s newly appointed factions. Even though you are caught in a futuristic sci-fi outbreak, the main message Divergent films - never sacrifice your autonomy, especially for a young woman in a patriarchal society. The series is often compared to The Hunger Games because of the overall storyline and world, but who cares? Every other male action movie follows a similar narrative. There’s room enough for many rebels and Mockingjays go around.
amazing woman
A franchise that needs no introduction. From her debut in 1941 in All-Star comics to Linda Carterpicture for Gal Gadotversion, amazing woman created the archetype of a strong female character. There have been countless iterations of the iconic superhero and they will continue, even after the sad news that Gadot’s reign may be coming to an end. While not every version of Wonder Woman is a model feminist, Patty Jenkins’ take is getting damn close. Despite, Justice League The character’s first standalone film was a huge success, it was still difficult to make a film after being in movie purgatory for years. Thank goodness it was, as the first film is one of the best films in the DC Cinematic Universe.
If this list proves one thing, it’s that women can carry the hell out of an action movie franchise.
Source: Collider
