At just 21 years old,Jenna Ortegahas carved out a career in the film and television industry that has made her one of the most sought-after actresses of her generation. In addition to being very talented, Ortega has also shown a strong sense of self in an industry that could easily chew you up and spit you out. It’s no secret that the actress has already been a part of some lucrative franchises in film and TV, but when it comes to reimagining male roles to give women a shot at bigger IPs, Ortega thinks it’sa much better option to give women their own franchises to create their own iconic characters.
During a chat withMTVto promote the upcoming release ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, Ortega was asked if she would be up for appearing in more sequels to some of Tim Burton’s other work, such asEdward Scissorhands, taking on the main part played by Johnny Depp but with a female spin. The actress, who was joined in the interview by her co-star Catherine O’Hara, found humor in the idea butwould rather women had franchises to call their own.
“I love that there’s a lot more female leads nowadays, I think that’s so special, but we should have our own. I don’t like it when it’s like a spinoff, I don’t want to see like ‘Jamie Bond.’ You know? I want to see another badass.”
Gender & Race-Swapping Iconic Male Roles Have Been Met With Some Criticism
Thenotion of changing the race or gender of iconic roles is nothing new in Hollywood. The idea of a female James Bond has been tossed around for years, while Idris Elba’s name has popped up as potentially becoming the first Black James Bond to replace Daniel Craig. A female version of James Bond hasn’t been officially explored, but giving a woman of color the 007 codename was met with some criticism when Lashana Lynch’s Nomi took on the mantle in 2021’sNo Time to Die. While some moviegoers are open to gender and race-swapping iconic roles, others take it as a personal offense when it’s done.
Female James Bond Idea Was First Suggested 60 Years Ago Before Sean Connery Became 007
The idea of a female James Bond was first suggested before Sean Connery took the role in 1962’s Dr. No, a new Ian Fleming biography reveals.
Ortega is right that women deserve more franchises of their own to potentially establish characters that could enter the pop culture lexicon. Charlize Theron (Atomic Blonde), Angelina Jolie (Salt) and Scarlett Johansson (Lucy,Black Widow) are solid examples of allowing this movement to gain traction, but they’re sadly the exception and not the rule. There is still this idea in Hollywood thatfemale-led franchises, especially when not based on established IP, won’t perform at the box office, buthow many men have been given multiple shots at this despite past failures?Every idea isn’t going to work, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dust yourself off and try again.
As for Ortega, she’s likely destined for her own big original franchise as well. The actress has already appeared in established IPs, with her twoScreamfilms pulling in solid box office numbers and her television series,Wednesday, bringing in big viewership numbers for Netflix.Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceis expected togross over $100 millionduring its debut this weekend, so that willadd another hit to her already impressive resume.
