Michelle Rodriguez Threatens To Leave ‘Fast & Furious’ Franchise Over The Lack Of Love For Women

As the push for greater gender diversity in films gains more headway, some franchises are still holding onto the more traditional themes of earlier eras. Among those holdouts is the Fast & Furious franchise, but if Michelle Rodriguez gets her way, that’s all about to change. If it doesn’t change, Rodriguez has pledged to walk away from the high-octane action of the Fast & Furious films.

Michelle Rodriguez Marks The Digital Release Of The Fate Of The Furious With An Ultimatum

There’s no doubt that Michelle Rodriguez is grateful for her time as Letty Ortiz in the Fast and the Furious franchise. As Yahoo! Movies reports, the actress has always been very vocal in acknowledging the opportunity she has been given to develop that character, beginning with 2001’s The Fast and the Furious and extending through this year’s The Fate of the Furious. It’s something that has helped Michelle buff up her acting credits and has given her more creative control over Letty.

However, Ms. Rodriguez is again voicing her dissatisfaction over the lack of gender diversity in the Fast & Furious franchise. The actress has previously voiced her concern about the need for more strong female roles, but never before has she put her own career on the line for the cause.

In a new Instagram post, Rodriguez shared a triple split screen shot of herself from The Fate of the Furious, announcing that the film is now available through digital download.

“I hope they decide to show some love to the women of the franchise on the next one or I just might have to say goodbye to a loved franchise,” Ms. Rodriguez wrote in the photo’s caption. “It’s been a good ride & I’m grateful for the opportunity the fans & studio have provided over the years… One Love.”

Michelle Rodriguez Says A Lack Of Strong Female Roles “Does Weight Heavy On My Head”

In speaking of her own role as Letty in the Fast & Furious films, Michelle says she’s proud of the evolution of her character, but, as CNN reports, the actress is unhappy with gender inequality in the franchise, overall. She says the lack of gender diversity in action films is sending the wrong message to millions of girls and women.

At the end of the day, Ms. Rodriguez feels that one or two strong female characters isn’t enough to turn the tide and prove that women are capable of more.

“It does weigh heavy on my head — especially in the male-dominated environment that I work in,” said The Fate of the Furious star.

Already, Michelle has received tremendous support from fans, both men and women, who admire Rodriguez for taking a stand for all women. Whether Universal Pictures takes Michelle’s demand seriously or not remains to be seen.

[Featured Image by Andrew Toth/Getty Images]