Vanity Fair declares the end of the old-school movie star, the rise of Hollywood’s ‘vulnerable’ leading men

Vanity Fair’s latest “Hollywood Issue” declares the end of the idealized, hypermasculine movie star, arguing that today’s leading men have ushered in a new era of “vulnerability” and “accessibility.”

The annual cover story, titled “The 2026 Hollywood Issue: Let’s Hear It For the Boys!” spotlights several of Hollywood’s biggest male actors, including Glen Powell, Andrew Garfield, Jonathan Bailey, Paul Mescal, Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler. The feature frames them as symbols of a cultural shift away from the industry’s “golden age” male archetype.

“In Hollywood’s golden age, studios turned regular men into secular gods: changing their names, hiding their flaws,” opens the cover story, written by author Ottessa Moshfegh.
 

Glen Powell, A$AP Rocky, Jeremy Allen White, Callum Turner and Lakeith Stanfield appear on the cover of Vanity Fair’s 2026 “Hollywood Issue.” (Theo Wenner/Vanity Fair)

“The era of the remote matinee idol is over—and the dawn of the almost approachable, appealingly authentic modern actor is in full swing. Meet the new class of leading men,” the story reads.

Moshfegh wrote, “They’re still fantasy men, yes, but boyfriend-shaped: accessible, kind, vulnerable, and recognizably human.” 

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The article argues that the new generation of male stars, often called the “internet boyfriends,” is intentionally designed to appear more relatable and emotionally available.

The once-untouchable movie stars, such as Tom Cruise or Marlon Brando, have been replaced by actors who share their feelings and intimate life details online.

Paul Mescal, known for “Normal People” and “Gladiator,” attends the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 12, 2023. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

“We want to know them, how they feel, what makes them tick,” writes Moshfegh.

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“We follow their playlists, their breakups, their skin-care routines.”

The piece says Hollywood’s version of masculinity is now “expressive and safe,” adding that “‘big d— energy’ doesn’t mean dominance, but presence, sincerity, and authenticity.”

Andrew Garfield (left), known for “We Live in Time,” and Glen Powell (right), star of “Top Gun: Maverick.” (Steve Granitz/FilmMagic; Robert Smith/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

But not everyone in the industry has agreed with Hollywood’s softer rebrand. Actor Anthony Mackie, known as Marvel’s new Captain America, has pushed back on the shift. He’s said that traditional masculinity still matters.

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“In the past 20 years, we’ve been living through the death of the American male,” Mackie said on “The Pivot Podcast” in March.

Jonathan Bailey attends the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 10, 2024. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

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“They have literally killed masculinity in our homes and our communities, for one reason or another, but I raise my boys to be young men.”

Whether audiences view Hollywood’s new leading man as progress or an overcorrection, Vanity Fair’s feature suggests the shift is here to stay.