Why Glen Powell’s October GQ Issue Redefines the Modern Leading Man

By Marissa Rotolo

Once upon a time, the typical Hollywood man always had abs, probably a cape, and a haunting backstory that somehow just made him like totally get it! The archetype of a man has always felt more like a caricature than a truth. President. Gym rat. Brooding. These aren’t personalities as much as they are buzzwords — shorthand for what society has packaged as “masculinity.” Enter Glen Powell, who has been thrust into Hollywood at a fascinating moment in the zeitgeist. With the rise and fall of the 2000s’ glossy, hyper-masculine leading man, one has to wonder: has the pendulum actually swung? Or are we just watching a remix of the same archetype in new clothes?

For the October issue of GQ, writers ponder the question: what makes a modern leading man? Decorated with almost satirical images — Powell stuffed into a cartoonish muscle suit, styled as a moody cowboy, or buttoned-up businessman — the spread exaggerates archetypes we’ve seen for decades. From Top Gun: Maverick to Anyone But You Powell’s been positioned as the guy Hollywood is testing as the template for its next era of leading men. Writer Zach Baron frames the piece around “male hyper-obsession with self-optimization and looksmaxxing,” suggesting that Hollywood’s idea of masculinity hasn’t disappeared so much as it’s been repackaged for a new generation.

One thing this article captures so steadfastly is that Powell's hunger for experience is all-consuming. He takes on projects like Twisters, where he’ll be a self-proclaimed tornado wrangler. A total ‘cool guy.’ But on the other hand, he owns and acknowledges that he was never naturally a cool guy. In the article, Powell states, “Not acting like nothing hurts and not trying to act like that journey is painless.” In response to how he acts after a punch lands, or combat subsides. Growing up in Texas, he explains how he had to work hands-on often, which translates to authenticity in the roles he plays. His character isn’t an archetype because it's truly him. What writer Zach Baron concludes is that Glen Powell exudes both “alpha energy” and “eagerness”—the kind of guy who might help you change a tire or strike you out in a game. Therefore, what makes a ‘modern leading man’ is a man who is rugged and athletic, but also warm and emotionally present. AKA “aloof cool” is out. 

In other words, embodying both the archetype and the counter-archetype is what makes Powell such a compelling case study for modern masculinity. Today’s leading man can’t just be “written by a woman”—that internet phrase for when a male character is polished into an almost too-perfect fantasy. He also has to be “edited by a man,” meaning grounded in flaws, effort, and the kind of authenticity that makes the ideal believable. The modern leading man actually isn’t untouchable. He’s accessible, eager, and also authentic in his approach. In Powell, we see Hollywood trying to reconcile the caricature with the human being.

See full shoot here: GQ: Glen Powell On What Makes A Modern Leading Man  

Cover Photo: K / @jeffscruise via Pinterest