Marvel Studios Executive Vice President of Production Victoria Alonso reflected on Black Widow’s problematic portrayal in Iron Man 2.
Academy Award-nominee Scarlett Johansson made her debut is Natasha Romanoff AKA Black Widow in 2010’s Iron Man 2. While the performance and character itself received praise from critics and fans alike, her portrayal in Iron Man 2 has been criticized by Scarlett Johansson among others for its “hyper-sexualization,” arguing that showcasing her in an objectifying way wasn’t necessary for the heroine and soon-to-be Avenger.
Victoria Alonso, who has been with Marvel Studios since the first Iron Man film, reflected on the problematic scene in Iron Man 2, in which Tony Stark comments, “I want one,” in a clearly objectifying and suggestive manner towards Black Widow. The Marvel Studios Executive Vice President of Production explained to Time:
“It bothered me then and it bothers me now. I remember thinking, ‘She’s not a thing’ But how apropos: the world sees a sexy woman and thinks that because she is beautiful, that’s all she has to give.”
Thankfully, following her debut in Iron Man 2, Black Widow’s portrayal moved on from hyper-sexualization and focused more on further developing her as a character and showcasing how she’s an integral member of the Avengers. It’s great to see that Marvel Studios has learned from Iron Man 2.
Here is the synopsis for Black Widow:
In Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller “Black Widow,” Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Directed by Cate Shortland from a script written by Eric Pearson based on a story by Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson, the Marvel film stars Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, Ray Winstone, Olivier Richters, and Rachel Weisz.
The film hits theaters and Disney Plus on July 9th. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the upcoming film and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.
Source: Time
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