It is absolutely possible for men to write iconic female heroes for film, unfettered by the male lens. Lieutenant Ellen Ripley of the Alien franchise (created by Dan O’Bannon) would be a prime example, because she is depicted as a capable human being, whose gender has no bearing whatsoever on the way in which she is perceived by those around her. When she is suddenly placed in a situation in which gender is the overwhelming issue – as in Alien 3 – it is dealt with bluntly and in a way that respects its weighty burden, before moving on with the task in hand.

Another, more recent example of the same would be the character of Furiosa (created by George Miller, Brendan McCarthy and Nick Lathouris) in Mad Max: Fury Road...

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