Let’s Debunk Charlize Theron’s Woke Victim Mentality

Victimhood rules in Hollywood.

A-list actors complain about fame, fortune, paychecks and more. It’s even more prevalent with actresses, who also rail against industry sexism, unfair salaries and (shudder) the Male Gaze.

Sometimes, starlets have a legitimate point. Other times, they make stuff up out of whole cloth.

Take Oscar-winner Charlize Theron. She’s starring in the straight-to-Netflix sequel “The Old Guard 2.”

The film, co-starring Uma Thurman and Chiwetel Ejiofor, follows Theron’s immortal character staring down a new global threat. The first film gave Netflix a Pandemic-era hit, sparking a sequel.

Reviewers have not been kind, alas.

No matter. Theron is doing the press rounds, complaining to The New York Times that Hollywood gives female action heroes little love.

“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…

“When women do this and the movie maybe doesn’t hit fully, they don’t necessarily get a chance again. With this, we were very aware that eyes were on us. 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.”

The claim is so ludicrous even The Hollywood Reporter debunked it. Partially.

The Oscar winner has starred in several action films throughout her career, including Æon Flux, Atomic Blonde, The Italian Job, The Old Guard, Mad Max: Fury Road and multiple Fast & Furious franchise installments. She most recently reprised her role as Andy in The Old Guard 2.

Let’s debunk it some more.

Consider the following female-led action movies, all made over the past 15 years.

• Lucy
• Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2
• Jurassic World Rebirth
• Atomic Blonde
• Ballerina
• Columbiana
• Wonder Woman 1 & 2
• Anna
• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Kate
• The Woman King
• Madame Web
• Ava
• The 455
• Red Sparrow
• Rogue
• Damsel
• Old Guard 1 & 2
• Canary Black
• The Assignment
• Tomb Raider
• Birds of Prey

That’s just a partial list. It’s notable that the majority of those titles either underperformed or outright flopped. Yet Hollywood continues to make them.

“Ballerina,” which hit theaters just a few weeks ago, couldn’t match the commercial prowess of the greater “John Wick” franchise.

Theron may be a victim in some capacity, but she’s foolish to pin her woes on Hollywood’s unwillingness to make and support female-led action movies.