Where did the sex scenes go? Breaking down Hollywood's puritanical era

let's accept talk about sex … or lack thereof. While movies are still a way to escape the reality of life, it seems like spending a night with an A-lister is no longer a must – unless they're offering OnlyFans content.

Some of the biggest blockbusters of recent years have made millions at the box office, but they're missing one essential: steamy sex scenes. Miles Teller felt the rush of flying the F-18 until 2022 Top Gun: Maverick is worried, and Tom Cruise didn't even sleep with a love interest Jennifer Connelly in the movie. Similarly, Twisters when it premiered in July, viewers were thrilled because nothing romantic happened between episodes Glenn Powell and Daisy Edgar Jones. Not even pretty – unless you count the deleted kiss which was leaked to X.

listen We is fully on board with the slow burn, but sometimes escapism in the form of two hot people duking it out on screen is what we want and need. When did the tides turn? And more importantly, why does all sex seem to have disappeared? Let's put the blame on Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Of course, we're kidding, because who doesn't love a good superhero movie? (Chris Evanswe miss you!) But 34 movies and counting in the MCU has to be mentioned. Note that the film franchise has been around since 2008, and only one of the films has a sex scene (the 2021 box office bomb The Eternals). Most of them don't even have a kiss!

Are we really living in Hollywood's “puritanical age,” as some have called it? Well, a study published last year The Economist says yes, noting that sexual content in movies has decreased by 40 percent since 2000. Previously, 20 percent of movies had no sex at all, and the same study found that number has now risen to 50 percent. However, the rare intimate scenes today are said to be more graphic than they once were, but this is still up for debate.

An additional layer to this discussion is the actors who have taken a stand. Several stars have expressed their distaste for filming (or choreographing, as some will say) intimate scenes. Henry Cavillfor example stated bluntly that he's “not a fan of doing that” in “overused” scenes in the film. The younger generation that prefers TikTok to AMC theaters seems to agree – Just fans for everyone?

Related: Will the actors get excited in the sex scenes? The Intimacy Coordinator tells us

A reader asks us, “How do actors keep themselves from getting excited during sex scenes?” Hot moments on Challengers and shows like Outlander have us thinking about this all-important question, too, so we caught up with Intimacy Coordinator Brooke M. Haney to get the inside scoop. Haney, who has worked for Elizabeth, measures (…)

All in all, it seems more accurate to say that technology is the reason for the recent decline in on-screen lovemaking. The Internet age has made sex more accessible to Gen Z, thanks to the abundance of OnlyFans and streaming services. The excitement of going to the cinema and trying to fake your eyes away from an intimate moment between two actors no longer seems necessary.

While sex scenes might be what the younger generation prefers to stream on their phones, studios are aiming for what audiences can only enjoy in the theater. Watching Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal fight it in the Colosseum during Gladiator II On an IMAX screen, we will never be able to get it at home. Maybe cinemas should constantly switch from intimacy to action movies? Because based on box office receipts, it looks like those are the only hot and sweaty scenes we'll be seeing on the big screen. We'll take what we can get.