Fewer, Younger, but Just As Powerful: How Portrayals of Women, Age, and Power Have Changed from 2002 to 2016 in the 50 Top-Grossing U.S. Films

A content analysis of 50 top-grossing movies examined whether past gender misrepresentations still exist today. We found no gender difference in leadership, social aggression, or goal possession, noteworthy differences from past films. Female characters made marginal strides in occupational power and physical aggression, and even surpassed males in goal achievement.