Vanity Fair has dropped its highly anticipated 2025 Hollywood Issue, and there’s something noticeably different about it this year – it’s exclusively featuring men. That’s right, all men, no exceptions.
The glossy magazine rolled out three separate covers showcasing a dozen of Hollywood’s hottest leading men. The lineup reads like a who’s who of contemporary cinema: Glen Powell, Paul Mescal, Michael B. Jordan, Jeremy Allen White, Andrew Garfield, Austin Butler, Jonathan Bailey, A$AP Rocky, Riz Ahmed, LaKeith Stanfield, Callum Turner, and Harris Dickinson. The coverline boldly declares “Let’s hear it for the boys!” while celebrating what the magazine calls a “new class of leading men.”
Naturally, the decision to go with an all-male Hollywood issue has sparked plenty of conversation online. After all, this comes at a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are under intense scrutiny, and many in Hollywood are worried about the erosion of MeToo progress. Recent data from the Celluloid Ceiling shows that only 11 of the top 100 grossing films in 2024 were directed by women, down from 16 in 2020. So yeah, the optics are definitely raising eyebrows.
However, Mark Guiducci, Vanity Fair‘s newly appointed global editorial director, isn’t backing down from the choice. Speaking to the press, Guiducci insisted that the decision had nothing to do with politics. Instead, he explained that the magazine wanted to move away from the traditional Hollywood issue format, which had become essentially a survey of potential Oscar nominees. Guiducci, who took the reins at Vanity Fair in June, sees his role as championing an industry that has been through the wringer lately.
“There’s so much consternation, I think, about Hollywood at the moment,” Guiducci shared, pointing to challenges like the pandemic, LA fires, economic pressures, MeToo concerns, and the looming threat of AI. His vision? To bring back some optimism and celebration to an industry that desperately needs it.
Meanwhile, critics aren’t exactly buying the “nothing political” angle. Roger Friedman of Showbiz411 put it bluntly, suggesting the magazine essentially told Hollywood’s leading ladies to “drop dead” with this all-male spread. The issue was notably put together by Olivia Nuzzi, Vanity Fair‘s new West Coast editor, which has added another layer to the ongoing discussion.
The timing of this Hollywood issue is also worth noting. Breaking from tradition, it’s dropping months earlier than usual – typically, these issues arrive closer to the Academy Awards. This year’s edition marks Guiducci’s first major statement as editor, and it’s certainly making waves. Whether those waves will carry the magazine forward or create more turbulence remains to be seen.
For now, the 12 guys are looking sharp in their tuxedos, photographed by Theo Wenner in Malibu and London. The magazine has dubbed them “The People’s Princes,” though plenty of people are wondering where the princesses went.