The best female action heroes

For decades, action movies were dominated by male leads. This has slowly changed over time and the film industry has becoming increasingly willing to make movies about female action heroes. In honor of Women’s History Month, here is a list of actresses that have played the best action heroes.

Angelina Jolie

The most important part of being a great action hero is being believable. The best action movie in the world will not work without the right person playing the part. Jolie always comes across well in her action roles. From a pair of Tomb Raider movies to her role in the overlooked Salt, Jolie has carved out quite a niche for herself in the action genre.

Charlize Theron

Theron has been in some of the best action movies of the 2000s. Her resume is a part of every adrenaline junkie’s must watch list. The Italian Job, Mad Max: Fury Road, and The Old Guard are just a sampling of her action packed career. Her amazing performance in Atomic Blonde is one of the best action roles of the past decade.

Geena Davis

Davis is something of a case of “what might have been”. The Academy Award winner has had an eclectic career that has included comedies, family films and moving dramas. It is hard to remember just what a bad ass she can be. Though it was pretty much ignored at the time, The Long Kiss Goodnight has come to be regarded as a great action flick. Davis seemed to have all the tools necessary to be a great action star.

Milla Jovovich

Jovovich has two iconic film roles to her credit. The Fifth Element is one of the most divisive science fiction movies of all time, but few find fault with Jovovich’s memorable performance. Her turn as Alice in the Resident Evil franchise has helped it become the highest grossing video game movie franchise in history. 

Scarlett Johansson

Black Widow is one of the most important characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is thanks to Johansson’s commitment to playing the role with a strong sense of feminine allure without relying on physical appeal. She has also starred in the sci fi action films Lucy and Ghost in the Shell.