Meta description : Is Glen Powell changing Hollywood masculinity? Box office, roles and research point to a new leading-man playbook audiences actually want.
Hollywood masculinity is getting a refresh, and right now that new face looks a lot like Glen Powell. The actor jumps from the disciplined heat of “Top Gun: Maverick” to the flirty vulnerability of “Anyone But You”, then flips into the disarming chameleon of “Hit Man”. Same star power, different temperature each time. That range lands in the sweet spot where confidence meets care, not just muscle.
The shift is not abstract. “Top Gun: Maverick” became a 2022 global phenomenon with about 1.49 billion dollars worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. A year later, Sony’s “Anyone But You” quietly turned into a rom-com juggernaut with roughly 219 million dollars worldwide, again per Box Office Mojo. When a leading man brings charm, consent-forward romance and self-awareness, audiences show up. And with men still the majority of speaking characters in popular films, per the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s 2023 report on 2007 to 2022 releases, what those men project on screen carries weight.
Glen Powell and the new leading man energy Hollywood banks on
For years, the male archetype swung between stoic superhero and winking antihero. Glen Powell plants himself in a third lane. In “Top Gun: Maverick” he channels competitive swagger that stays playful. In “Anyone But You” the comedy relies on timing and respect rather than one-upmanship. In “Hit Man” he co-wrote a character who performs masculinity like a costume, then lets humanity slip through.
The observation is simple : audiences respond when masculinity keeps its edge yet makes room for humor, listening, and partnership. Studios still default to tougher-than-everyone templates. That habit leaves money on the table when the culture asks for range, not rigidity.
Box office signals : from “Top Gun: Maverick” to “Anyone But You”
Numbers set the stakes. Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick” reached about 1.49 billion dollars worldwide in 2022, per Box Office Mojo, powered by old-school spectacle and a competitive flight crew dynamic that felt inclusive instead of icy. Then came the surprise : “Anyone But You” in late 2023. Sony’s R-rated rom-com legged out to roughly 219 million dollars worldwide, based on Box Office Mojo totals, a figure that revived a genre many had written off.
Context matters : “Hit Man” rolled out in theaters before a June 2024 global streaming launch on Netflix. The release path signaled confidence in word-of-mouth for character-first storytelling. Whether in fighter jets, messy apartments, or double lives, Powell’s characters project strength without shutting down warmth. That is the connective tissue.
What the data says about men on screen
The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s longitudinal study published in 2023 found that women accounted for 34.6 percent of speaking characters across top-grossing films from 2007 to 2022. By simple math, men still dominate screen presence. The conclusion is not moral, just mechanical : when most dialogue comes from men, the models of masculinity those men carry will be seen and copied.
Another long-running signal comes from UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Report. The 2020 edition showed films with casts that were 41 to 50 percent minority posted the highest median global box office among the titles studied. Different question, same lesson for studios : audiences reward balance, dimension and shared space. When leading men make room for others, stories travel.
Pull that thread through Powell’s last three hits and a pattern appears. Status does not have to look cold. Competition can play as mentorship. Romance sells when consent and comedy dance together. That is not trend chasing. It is product-market fit for modern viewers.
A practical playbook for healthier Hollywood masculinity
Here is where the conversation turns into tools. The arc is visible on screen, and it can be repeated without losing bite.
- Confidence with consequences : let the hero be capable, then show how he takes responsibility when stakes turn real.
- Flirtation that listens : desire lands better when timing and consent are explicit, not implied.
- Team wins : give male leads scenes where they follow, learn or assist, not just command.
- Humor without cruelty : keep the laugh big, keep the punchline off vulnerable targets.
- Skill plus softness : physical competence paired with emotional vocabulary creates suspense and relief.
The missing piece sits behind the camera : consistent writing and directing that treats masculinity as a toolkit, not a mask. Glen Powell’s trajectory helps because he is not only starring. With “Hit Man” he co-wrote the role, shaping how the character performs and sheds bravado. When leading men step into producing or writing, the calibration tightens. Casting then extends the effect across ensembles, and marketing frames the appeal around chemistry instead of domination. That is how a vibe becomes a verifiable strategy. It is definitly repeatable when incentives line up, and the recent ledger says they do.