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Scarlett Johansson is shedding light on the changing landscape of Hollywood, particularly when it comes to the roles available to women. In a recent interview with The Times of London, the acclaimed actress opened up about the kinds of characters she was offered early in her career — many of which centered on “desirability” and were shaped heavily by the male gaze.
“When I was younger, a lot of the roles I was offered, or I went for, had their ambitions or character arcs revolving around their own desirability, or the male gaze, or a male-centered story,” Johansson said. “That is less frequent, though — something has shifted.”
According to the “Avengers” star, the industry has made visible progress. She noted that today’s Hollywood offers more room for women to take on complex, varied roles that don’t exist solely to complement a male narrative. “The messaging is different — there are many more role models, women are visible in powerful positions and the opportunities I have had to play women who don’t have to just be one thing or another have increased.”
Johansson, who attended the premiere of Focus Features’ The Phoenician Scheme on May 28, 2025, at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, has spoken out before about how Hollywood has framed her career. Back in 2022, she revealed how the industry “hypersexualized” her at a young age, making it difficult for her to transition into more diverse roles.
“I kind of became objectified and pigeonholed in this way where I felt like I wasn’t getting offers for work for things that I wanted to do,” she said at the time. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘I think people think I’m 40 years old.’ It somehow stopped being something that was desirable and something that I was fighting against.”
Now, Johansson sees signs of progress and a shift in storytelling that gives young women more agency on screen. While the path hasn’t been easy, she acknowledges the changes taking shape and welcomes the broader range of opportunities now available. “It’s a different time for young women,” she said.
