In the 80s/90s Arnold was a huge movie star, playing huge men in both serious and comedy roles.
I guess that what I am asking is; what actor today could occupy the same kind of decade defining place as Arnold did in the 80s/90s?
They don’t have to be a massive bodybuilder, but they should be the first name that anyone would think of when someone say “2010s/2020s”.
Lots of media theory was aimed at the depictions of men on screen in the 80s. I’d say a modern equivalent might be (hear me out….) Ryan Gosling. Start with La La Land, where he establishes himself as a guy who can sing and dance, then go through to Barbie. Sure, it’s not the muscle men of the ‘80s, but it’s a new male archetype.