In 2024, the industry reached a historic benchmark of gender parity in leading roles, with 54% of the top 100 films featuring female leads. However, recent 2025 and 2026 reports show a reversal:
: Women aged 60+ account for only 2% of major female characters, compared to 8% for men in the same age bracket. Emerging Narrative Shifts
: Characters over 40 continue to see a sharp "plummet" in presence. Representation often drops from roughly 35% for women in their 30s to just 15% once they reach their 40s.
: Female lead roles in top films dropped to 39% by 2025, a seven-year low.
