There is some truth in your words ssbryan, but in my mind the thing that holds M4 and the rest of the male  figures back is lack of imagination. We just think it's far more sexier and cooler to have a female figure doig things than to have a male. You have a picture of a futuristic pilot about to take off in his plane or spaceship, we diecied to make him female instead. Superheroes become females with big breasts and supertight and tiny costumes.

Cowboys, become cowgirls, etc. etc.