Charlize Theron is sounding the alarm on what she sees as an unfair playing field for female action movies. In a recent interview with The New York Times, the Oscar-winning actress claimed that Hollywood gives male stars more chances to succeed in the action genre—even after they fail. But is that true?
“Yeah, it’s harder. That’s known,” Theron told the outlet. “Action films with female leads don’t get greenlit as much as the ones with male leads. I think the thing that always frustrates me is the fact that guys will get a free ride.”
Charlize Theron sits for an interview – YouTube: Megyn Kelly
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Theron, who has built a reputation as a legitimate action star through films like Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde, and Netflix’s The Old Guard, expressed frustration from her claim that women are often given only one chance to succeed in the genre before being sidelined.
“When women do this and the movie maybe doesn’t hit fully, they don’t necessarily get a chance again,” she added. “It’s not a risk that studios want to take, but they’ll take it many times on the same guy who might have a string of action movies that did not do so well.”
But is Theron’s criticism reflective of the current state of Hollywood—or does the data tell a different story?
Studios Have Backed Female-Led Action Films—With Mixed Results
Despite Theron’s claims, studios have invested heavily in female-fronted action projects, particularly in the last five years. However, many of these efforts have struggled at the box office—even when tied to major franchises.
Take Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, for example.
Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024), Warner Bros. Pictures
Released in May 2025, the film starred Anya Taylor-Joy in a prequel to the acclaimed Mad Max: Fury Road. With a production budget of approximately $168 million, the film grossed just $174 million globally, far short of what would be needed to break even. Industry analysts estimate the film lost Warner Bros. between $75 and $120 million.
Sydney Sweeney as Julia Carpenter in Madame Web (2024), Sony Pictures
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Similarly, Madame Web—a 2024 Sony-Marvel film starring Dakota Johnson—was widely panned by critics and audiences alike. Despite its connection to the Spider-Man universe and a production budget estimated between $80 million and $100 million, the film grossed only $100.5 million worldwide, barely covering costs and failing to launch the intended franchise.
Both films were franchise entries with name recognition, studio support, and major marketing efforts—yet neither succeeded.
Even when female-led action films are backed by majorly successful IP, that doesn’t mean they’ll perform well financially. Case in point: Ballerina, a spin-off of the John Wick franchise starring Ana de Armas.
A scene from Ballerina – YouTube, Lionsgate Movies
The film earned approximately $128 million globally on a reported $90 million production budget. However, when factoring in standard marketing costs (estimated $40–60 million) and theater cuts (which reduce the studio’s take to roughly 50% of gross revenue), the film likely failed to recoup its full investment through theatrical release alone.
Despite the popularity of the John Wick brand and initial buzz, Ballerina underperformed—further proving that franchise affiliation isn’t enough to overcome market challenges.
Meanwhile, Male-Led Flops Face the Same Fate
While Theron suggests that male action stars get “a free ride,” recent box office results show that male-led bombs are just as quickly punished.
The Flash, starring Ezra Miller and tied to the DC Extended Universe, lost Warner Bros. an estimated $200 million after flopping at the box office with just $270 million globally against a production and marketing budget exceeding $400 million.
Eara Miller as The Flash in The Flash – YouTube, DC
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Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam also disappointed. Though marketed as a major DC tentpole, the film underperformed and failed to spawn any sequels or spinoffs. The planned “Snyderverse” revival was scrapped soon after.
Solo: A Star Wars Story with Alden Ehrenreich in the lead similarly tanked, leading Disney to halt all future standalone Star Wars prequels.
Ezra Miller as The Flash in The Flash – YouTube, DC
In each of these cases, the male leads were not given multiple follow-ups. Instead, studios pulled the plug quickly—reflecting the high stakes of modern theatrical releases. And in the case of Miller and Ehrenreich, their days as leading stars in actions movies came to an abrupt halt. Since Black Adam, Johnson has not been in a serious action role.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson via Jimmy Kimmel Live YouTube
Since the flop of Black Adam, he’s been relegated to biopics and family comedies outside of a mid-credit cameo in Fast X.
Some Female-Led Action Films Do Succeed
While many recent female-led action films have struggled, a few have bucked the trend—typically with massive franchise support and broad audience appeal.
Jurassic World: Rebirth, starring Scarlett Johansson, opened to $318 million globally and became a major box office hit. According to Entertainment Weekly, the film’s success helped make Johansson the highest-grossing lead actor in the world, with her career total now exceeding $14.8 billion.
Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) in Marvel Studios‘ BLACK WIDOW, in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access. Photo by Jay Maidment. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
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But this remains the exception, not the rule. Outside of mega-franchise hits like Jurassic World, few female-led action films have cracked the code in recent years.
One emerging factor that may be contributing to audience hesitancy is what some have dubbed “girlboss fatigue”—a growing weariness with the formulaic portrayal of overly stoic, hyper-competent and hardly challenged female leads in modern action films.
Daisy Ridley as Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), Lucasfilm
Both Furiosa and Ballerina received generally positive critical reviews, yet struggled to find enthusiastic audiences. For many moviegoers, these films felt like more of the same: another lone-wolf heroine written to embody empowerment rather than humanity. Whether fair or not, audiences increasingly reject characters that feel manufactured to make a statement rather than tell a story—especially when depth, vulnerability, or originality are sacrificed in the process.
Today’s Market Leaves Little Room for Error—for Anyone
In the streaming age and post-lockdown market, studios are less forgiving across the board. Even big names and major franchises aren’t guaranteed success.
Theatrical releases carry high production and marketing costs, and studios are quick to shift gears after underperformance. In today’s climate, no one—man or woman—gets unlimited chances to fail.
Charlize Theron sits for an interview – YouTube: Megyn Kelly
Charlize Theron’s comments speak to a legacy issue in Hollywood, one that undoubtedly impacted generations of actresses. But the current box office landscape tells a more nuanced story.
Studios are greenlighting female-led action films. In some cases, they’re backing them with hundreds of millions in funding. But the outcome ultimately depends on performance. Flops are flops—no matter who’s in the lead.
The idea that men get a “free ride” may have once been true. But in 2025, the market is proving to be brutally equal-opportunity when it comes to punishing failure.
Do you think Charlize Theron is right about female action movies? Sound off in the comments below!
