Scarlett Johansson has openly criticized the overt sexualization of her character, Black Widow, in the 2010 Marvel blockbuster Iron Man 2.
In a recent interview ahead of the release of the standalone Black Widow film, Johansson reflected on her character’s portrayal in her debut appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Johansson commented, “While Iron Man 2 was entertaining and had a lot of great moments in it, the character is so sexualized, you know? She’s talked about like she’s a piece of something, like a possession or a thing or whatever – like a piece of asy. And Tony even refers to her as something like that at one point … ‘I want some.'”
She referred to a specific scene in Iron Man 2 where Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) meets Black Widow, then undercover as Natalie Rushman.
As Stark looks through provocative images of Rushman, he tells Pepper Potts (played by Gwyneth Paltrow), “I want one.”
Potts earlier quips about Rushman, describing her as “a costly sexual harassment lawsuit if you keep ogling her.”
Reflecting on this, Johansson noted, “Maybe at that time,e that felt like a compliment. You know what I mean? Because my thinking was different… My self-worth was probably measured against that type of comment. But, like a lot of young women, you come into your own, and you understand your self-worth.”
Johansson highlighted the positive shift in representation for young women, saying, “Young girls are getting a much more positive message” and expressed pride in being part of this cultural change.
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