In the wake of the #MeToo movement and the rise of fourth-wave feminism, film and television texts have begun to reflect a cultural shift in how women are imagined. This is particularly striking in the case of action narratives, where physical action is conflated with agency. While male heroes continue to dominate the genre, there has been an upturn in women-centred action narratives over the past two decades. There has been another, critical shift, moreover. Once defined by lone heroines operating in male-dominated worlds, recent film and television dramas increasingly feature women acting collectively, challenging long-standing conventions and opening new avenues for feminist critique.
This volume brings together scholars whose work examines twenty-first-century action heroines not as isolated anomalies, but as part of ensembles, networks, and alliances. These representations disrupt the traditional narrative logic of action as inherently masculine and offer fresh perspectives on agency, resistance, and intersectionality.
Project updates
December 2025
The book will be featured as part of a programme of talks at the British Film Institute’ Reuben library on 9th February 2026 at .6.30pm. Tickets are available here.