Jennifer Garner takes on yet another powerful role in "Peppermint," playing a mother out for revenge after she wakes from a coma to discover her husband and daughter were murdered. It's been a few years, but Garner definitely knows her way around an action movie. The 46-year-old previously took down bad guys as Elektra in two Marvel movies and mastered the art of subterfuge playing double agent Sydney Bristow on "Alias" for five seasons.
With the upcoming release of "Peppermint" on September 7, we rounded up some of the most badass women in movies over the years.
16. Teenage assassin Hanna lives by the motto "adapt or die."
Raised in rural Finland by her father, the titular protagonist (Saoirse Ronan) of "Hanna" trained since the age of two to become a master assassin. Though she may be young, she should never be underestimated.
15. Hermione Granger is the real hero of the "Harry Potter" franchise.
She's as clever as they come and if it weren't for Hermione (Emma Watson), Ron and Harry never would have survived their time at Hogwarts during the "Harry Potter" series. She may not be the "Chosen One," but Hermione's book smarts and quick-thinking saved the day numerous times throughout the franchise's eight movies.
14. Katniss Everdeen inspires a country to start a rebellion.
Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is just your average teen with superior archery skills living in a post-apocalyptic society until she selflessly volunteers to take her sister's place in the annual "Hunger Games."
Her survival skills and knack for strategy kept her alive through two games, but her compassion and need to do what's right helps spark a country-wide rebellion against the Capitol.
13. Buffy armed herself witty one-liners and pointy stakes.
Although she's not quite as badass as her TV counterpart, the titular character of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (Kristy Swanson) had a just as much attitude. Plus, she became the blueprint for one of the best female TV characters of all time.
12. Letty Ortiz holds her own in the "family."
In the seriously badass "Fast and the Furious" crew, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) holds her own. She's an amazing driver, fighter, and just all around awesome lady.
She doesn't let anyone intimidate her, least of all Dominic Toretto, and has even survived some seriously gnarly accidents. If you're in a bind, you want her on your team.
11. Furiosa is the most compelling character in "Mad Max: Fury Road."
The movie might be called "Mad Max: Fury Road," but he's just along for the ride. Furiosa (Charlize Theron) is the architect of the escape plan to free Immortan Joe's Five Wives, who were being held captive to breed healthy babies. She can out-drive and out-maneuver pretty much everyone, and she has a killer aim.
10. Storm is as smart as she is strong.
Storm (Halle Berry) is a powerful hero in the "X-Men" movies with the ability to manipulate the weather. And though she could literally wreak havoc, she never did, which shows an amazing amount of restraint.
Storm was not only a powerful part of the X-Men, she was trustworthy and helped teach the younger members how to control their powers, showing that her strength was not only physical, but mental and practical.
9. General Leia Organa could take care of herself.
Princess Leia is the only female character of real consequence in the original "Star Wars" trilogy. Though she might have been royalty, she certainly wasn't helpless. With her quick-witted comebacks and impressive blaster skills, she sheds her royal moniker to become the leader and General of the Resistance against the New Order.
8. Domino uses her luck to her advantage.
Domino (Zazie Beetz) uses her superpower — luck — to escape some seriously harrowing situations in "Deadpool 2." She never backs down from a fight and is a seriously talented and badass mutant mercenary.
On top of her physical strength and powers, she has the quick wit and intelligence to work with Deadpool which, well, isn't always an easy task.
7. Yu Shu Lien is a fierce warrior in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."
Actress Michelle Yeoh performed all her own stunts to play Yu Shu Lien, a veteran warrior tasked with finding the Green Sword of Destiny in "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon."
A master of martial arts and an expert with a sword, watching Shu Lien take on the equally badass Yu Jen (Zhang Ziyi) is nothing short of breathtaking.
6. Nothing can stop Beatrix aka The Bride's need for vengeance.
After surviving an assassination attempt on her wedding day, The Bride (Uma Thurman), makes good on her promise to kill every member of The Deadly Viper Assassination squad throughout "Kill Bill: Vol 1 & 2." In her quest for revenge, The Bride becomes a master with a sword, punches her way out of a buried coffin, and explodes a man's heart with just her fingertips.
5. Rey overcame adversity and came out fighting in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
Though many fans love to theorize about who Rey's parents are, arguably one of the best things about her is that she came from humble beginnings and managed to win the hearts of Jedis and rebel fighters alike.
On top of her lightsaber skills, Rey never backs down from a challenge and uses her amazing abilities to help others and tries to make the galaxy a better and safer place.
4. Diana aka Wonder Woman is a literal goddess who basically ended the First World War.
A trained Amazon warrior and literal goddess, Diana (Gal Gadot) obviously knows how to throw down. But like her mother tells her, fighting doesn't make her a hero. While there's still plenty of battle scenes in "Wonder Woman," Diana's real power comes from choosing love over rage. Oh, and she basically helps end World War I when she defeats Ares.
3. Sarah Connor evolves from a damsel in distress to well-muscled warrior in the "Terminator" franchise.
No list of badass women would be complete without including Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton).
As a college student who learns she's being targeted by a shape-shifting robot, Sarah spends most of the first movie baffled by her situation and needing to be saved. Sarah steps up and defeats the Terminator at the end of the first movie, and she truly evolves into an ass-kicking heroine in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."
2. Shuri is the mastermind behind some of Wakanda's super-advanced technology.
All of the women in "Black Panther" are incredibly badass, but it's the teenage tech genius/princess, who is the most fun to watch.
At just 16, Shuri (Letitia Wright) is head of the Wakanda Design Group and responsible for creating technology that puts Tony Stark to shame. She also has some of the best lines in the movie.
1. Ripley is the lone survivor in "Alien."
Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is regarded as one of the greatest action characters of all time. Despite being ignored and undermined by her crewmates, she emerges as the sole survivor of the first "Alien" movie, before ultimately sacrificing herself to destroy the alien embryo she discovers she's carrying in the third movie.
Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.
Read the original article on INSIDER. Copyright 2018.Follow INSIDER on Facebook.
Follow INSIDER on Twitter.ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyuu9KtZJuZlJbAtHnFopqtoZ%2Bjrq15xZ6kmqSVqHpzfJBxZHE%3D