It takes a leaked email to say what Hollywood heavyweights are actually thinking.

This time the leaked emails in question show how little interest there is in making action movies with women in the lead.

Marvel CEO, Ike Perlmutter, sent a private email to Sony Entertainment CEO, Michael Lynton, explaining why “Female Movies” are not a good idea.

The leaked correspondence from August 2014 lists examples of female-led comic-book hero movies that were box-office flops.

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.

Here is the email in its entirety:

The gist appears to be three critically-panned movies that happened to have female protagonists did badly at the box office, so obviously female-fronted superhero movies are a bad idea.

Never mind that there have been countless male-led superhero films that have been completely critically eviscerated and box-office failures during this same time period, such as Daredevil starring Ben Affleck, Hulk starring Eric Bana and The Green Hornet with Seth Rogan.

It’s important to note that this email is not in context, so perhaps he was listing these box office bombs to make a different point (he has refused to comment) – but combined with the limited investment in female superhero films, it all seems to fit together.

 Check out some lady heroes we love.

Post continues after gallery.

Julie Newmar as Catwoman

Anne Hathaway

Marie Claude as Bourbonnais

Gal Gadot as Wonderwoman

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow

Halle Berry as Catwoman

Michell Pfeiffer as Catwoman

Kate Mara in Fantastic Four

Jennifer and Ben met on set when Jennifer played Elektra

Yvonne Craig as Batgirl

Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy

Rebecca Romijn as Mystique

Jessica Alba as Invisible Woman

Jennifer Lawerence as Katniss from the Hunger Games

Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman

The email’s discovery comes at a time when Marvel is under scrutiny for its treatment of female superheroes, particularly Black Widow from Avengers: Age of Ultron, played by Scarlett Johansson.

Despite her popularity, she’s been sidelined in the film’s merchandise, and has so far been denied a standalone film.

Watch Scarlett Johansson spoof a Black Widow standalone film. Post continues after video.

Despite Perlmutter’s apparent reservations about lady-led hero films, Marvel is going ahead with at least one: Captain Marvel. Yes, Captain Marvel’s a woman!

However, that film is still being developed and won’t be released until late 2018. Until then, the Marvel lineup appears to be the usual sausage-fest.