Charlize Theron in talks to replace Brad Pitt as lead in The Gray Man
She follows in the footsteps of Sigourney Weaver, Angelina Jolie and Sandra Bullock in taking action roles originally intended for men
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Your support makes all the difference.Charlize Theron is reportedly in talks to star in another action flick, the thriller The Gray Man about a male CIA agent-turned-assassin to save the lives of his children - children he never knew he had.
Based on the book of the same name, the film was intended to star Brad Pitt in the lead, yet Deadline have reported the Mad Max star will replace him.
Theron impressed Sony bosses so much in Fury Road that the script - originally written by Anthony and Joe Russoe, of Captain America: The Winter Soldier fame - has been slightly rejigged so she can take on the CIA agent role (she can't really have children unknowingly, can she?).
Her next major role will be in The Huntsman next year, a spin-off to 2012’s Snow White and The Huntsman, in which she played Queen Ravenna, White’s evil step-mother.
There have been numerous other roles in which roles originally intended for men have gone to women - Sigourney Weaver in Alien, Angelina Jolie in Salt and recently Sandra Bullock in Our Brand Is Crisis.
At this year’s Toronto film, Bullock addressed the situation, saying how women needing to resort to taking roles originally intended for men was a sign of Hollywoods inherent sexism.
“We deserve to have stories that reflect that,” she said. “And normalise that instead of it being a rarity. ‘Oh she’s intelligent? She wants to travel the world and do things for herself? Well, that’s weird.’ That’s the way it’s played out for so long.”
Theron was rumoured to be reprising her role from Mad Max: Fury Road, but according to recent reports she will not feature in the film's sequel despite arguably being the films main character.
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