Big budget action films of the 20th century were solely the domain of the classic alpha male, epitomized by the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.
People could point to outliers like Ripley, the protagonist of 1979’s Alien played by Sigourney Weaver, but Alien was a science-fiction horror, and Ripley slowly emerges out of an ensemble cast to become our sole survivor. Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor evolves from a woman in peril in 1984’s Terminator to an active—and absolutely ripped—hero in 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day. But even though she is the narrative voice of the film, she is still playing second fiddle to Arnold.