A producer behind Black Widow recently revealed that ensuring women weren't objectified in the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film was one of their top priorities while developing Natasha Romanoff's origin story.
Speaking about Scarlett Johansson's introduction as Natasha/Black Widow in Iron Man 2, Executive Vice President of Production at Marvel Studios Victoria Alonso, told TIME, "It bothered me then and it bothers me now."
Fans will recall that Johannson's first appearance as the Russian agent turned U.S. spy saw her being challenged to a boxing match by Tony Stark's employee Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau). After the femme fatale easily beat Happy, Stark turned to his girlfriend Pepper Potts and asked, "Who is she?" When Pepper replied, "Potentially a very expensive sexual harassment lawsuit," Stark promptly Googled images of Natasha in her underwear and proclaimed, "I want one."
"I remember thinking, 'She's not a thing,'" said Alonso, who also served as a co-producer on the Iron Man sequel. "But how apropos: the world sees a sexy woman and thinks that because she is beautiful, that's all she has to give."
The VP also addressed the "myth that women's stories don't sell [and] that super-heroes can't be women," explaining, "We had to demystify a bunch of these myths that were very much a part of what Hollywood was all about.”
Black Widow director Cate Shortland also backed Alonso's claim that they made "a conscientious effort to not objectify women." Specifically, Shortland added, "She was a character created for the male gaze. Initially, even the way she moved, the way she dressed -- it was helpful as a stepping-stone. But it wasn't who she was."
Along those lines, it was previously confirmed that Shortland's Black Widow film would dive deeper into Natasha's origins at the Red Room and her personal relationships, including her relationship with her Black Widow successor -- Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova.
"When she meets Scarlett's character, Natasha, Yelena is kind of rediscovering who she is after being in the Red Room for so long," Pugh explains in the new Marvel's Black Widow: The Official Movie Special book. "So together they realize that they're both suffering in very similar ways. There is a lovely and unique friendship between the two of them because they are ultimately long-lost sisters. They repair one another and each other's holes in their lives."
Directed by Cate Shortland, Black Widow stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, O-T Fagbenle as Mason and Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostokoff. The film arrives in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access July 9.
Source: TIME