This study analyzes the evolving representation of female characters in Disney/Pixar’s Cars trilogy (2006-2017) and assesses how these changes align with the theoretical and cultural framework of postfeminism. Postfeminism is a theoretical concept suggesting that feminism has fulfilled its objectives and is now outdated. This paper explores how postfeminist sensibilities, discussed by feminist media studies scholars, are integrated into and evolve within the content distributed by the global media conglomerate, The Walt Disney Company.

    The analyses aim to uncover shifts in the number of female characters, their attributes, and amount of their dialogue within the trilogy (Analysis 1), and variations in the narrative role and positionality of the female character with the most dialogue in each film (Analysis 2).

    Throughout the trilogy, the proportion of female characters who speak remained below 30% as the narrative progressed, predominantly featuring male protagonists. However, in Cars 3, there was an increase in the number of female characters portrayed independently of men, suggesting a shift towards depicting women as autonomous agents free from subordination to male characters in patriarchal constructs.

    In examining the narrative roles of the female character with the most dialogue in each film, it is evident that each character is portrayed as a postfeminist subject with distinct traits. In Cars 3, Cruz Ramirez’s depiction as a Latina highlights Lightning McQueen’s unacknowledged privilege as a white man. Nonetheless, the film reduces gender inequality-a structural issue-to a personal challenge, addressed through an empowerment discourse that emphasizes individual confidence and competence.

    The inclusion of feminist discourse might enhance the visibility of feminism. However, it also promotes a postfeminist sensibility, that depoliticizes feminism by focusing on individualized discourses.