The Legend Of Tarzan's Jane Is No Damsel In Distress

 The story of Tarzan is typically a very masculine one. And this summer's reboot, The Legend of Tarzan, starring Alexander Skarsgård as the oft-shirtless jungle hero, may well live up to that tradition — with a twist. It sounds like the story's helpless-damsel-in-distress factor is gone. In its place? Female badassery, courtesy of Margot Robbie's acting chops and the film's creative reimagining of her character, Jane.
"I was determined not to play the damsel in distress," Robbie explains in the below featurette, "and she is anything but." The actress describes her revamped Jane as "really, really feisty and incredibly capable. She's a really fiery character." Director David Yates (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) agrees.

"This isn't the old-fashioned Jane," he says. "She's very much a strong, contemporary woman."We're excited to see the scene-stealing actress' updated take on the passive Jane, even more so than the close-ups of Tarzan's vine-swinging bod. The Legend of Tarzan hits theaters on Friday, July 1.

This summer, we're celebrating the biggest movie season of the year with a new series calledBlockbust-HER. We'll be looking at everything film-related from the female perspective, interviewing major players in the industry and discussing where Hollywood is doing right by women and where (all too often) it is failing them. And now...let's go to the movies!