There are always shifts in what is villainized in films based on current real-world concerns. I think overall people are just more aware of the nuance that things aren't as black and white as 'good guys vs bad guys'. Which I think leads to more interesting characters and stories. That being said, there's still plenty of violence and baddies (some the article mentions like Rogue AI.) They mention specific 'bad guys' of the past where they're demonizing a specific nationality... which they answer themselves why those are less:
Presumably part of it is down to a diminishing appetite for the flatly racist caricatures that occupied the attentions of Stallone, Seagal and co for so long. Part of it too is down to simple economics: with mid-budget films having been all but squeezed out of existence, and the threshold for box-office success now absurdly high, global takings have become pivotal to whether a movie sinks or swims. In other words, Hollywood isn’t just courting America any more.
Selling stuff worldwide means not pissing on those audiences.
There are always shifts in what is villainized in films based on current real-world concerns. I think overall people are just more aware of the nuance that things aren't as black and white as 'good guys vs bad guys'. Which I think leads to more interesting characters and stories. That being said, there's still plenty of violence and baddies (some the article mentions like Rogue AI.) They mention specific 'bad guys' of the past where they're demonizing a specific nationality... which they answer themselves why those are less:
Selling stuff worldwide means not pissing on those audiences.
Who is this article even for?