Despite being cast in a myriad of "ditzy blonde" roles, Marilyn was reportedly unhappy with being typecast as such and longed for more. After finishing The Seven Year Itch, she broke her contract and fled to New York City to start her own production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions. Marilyn's company was one of the first few female-led film studios.

20th Century Fox was unhappy with Marilyn due to her contract breech and tried to discredit her, but ultimately, they were forced to write Marilyn a new contract with a salary boost and more creative control over her career, including "story approval, director approval, and cinematographer approval" according to Yahoo! Entertainment.

While Marilyn's life and legacy continues to be portrayed onscreen years after her passing, most recently by actress Ana de Armas in Blonde. Marilyn's iconic imagery, including her platinum hair, will forever be cemented in the pop culture. Homages to her scenes in The Seven Year Itch or Gentlemen Prefer Blondes have appeared in a number of films and television shows, including Moulin Rouge, Birds of Prey, Gossip Girl, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The Muppet Show, and more.