Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow is finally getting her own movie after starting out as what Johansson described as a "chess piece" for the male superheroes around her.

Speaking to TIME, Marvel Studios' Executive Vice President of Film Production and producer Victoria Alonso talked about having to overcome Hollywood's longstanding sexist attitude towards women-led action and superhero movies prior to making Black Widow. "There was always a myth that women’s stories don’t sell,” she pointed out, adding, "That super-heroes can’t be women. We had to demystify a bunch of these myths that were very much a part of what Hollywood was all about.”

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Despite the popularity of women-led franchises like The Hunger Games during the 2010s, it took some time before Johansson's Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow was treated like more than a sidekick following her introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2010's Iron Man 2. “In the beginning she was used as a kind of chess piece for her male counterparts,” Johansson noted. Most infamously, Natasha was heavily sexualized during her MCU debut, with Tony Stark googling images of her in her underwear immediately after meeting her for the first time.

Referring to this in a previous interview, Johansson said it "actually felt like a compliment," explaining, "Because my thinking was different. Maybe I even would have, you know, my own self-worth was probably measured against that type of comment or, like a lot of young women, you come into your own and you understand your own self-worth. It's changing now. Now people, young girls, are getting a much more positive message." She added it's "incredible to be a part of that shift."

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Because of the way Natasha was treated in the MCU early on, Black Widow director Cate Shortland told TIME she and her collaborators made "a conscientious effort" not to objectify her or any other women in the film. "[Natasha] 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," Shortland added.

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.

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Source: TIME