Chris Evans & Jeremy Renner Apologize for Calling Scarlett Johannson’s Character a Slut
Scarlett Johannson’s character in Avengers: Age of Ultron is impressive: She kicks butt in a skin-tight leather suit and keeps up with men from other planets with unnatural abilities—all while keeping it cool. She’s also intelligent, cool, and beautiful. Any superhero would be lucky to have her, and fans hoped that Natasha Romanoff would choose Captain America, played by Chris Evans, or Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner. Instead Black Widow, her alter-ego, chooses Bruce Banner, the Hulk, disappointing many.
In an interview with Renner and Evans, a reporter asked the pair what they thought of the coupling, which left their characters jilted. Renner joked, “She’s a slut.” Evans then broke out in laughter and said, “I was going to say something along that line. She’s a complete whore.” The host then added, “Whatever movie it is, she’ll just be the sidekick, she’ll be flirting.” They agreed, and then Evans responded, “She’ll just flirt with everybody.” Renner then put an end to the line of questioning and noted, “She has a prosthetic leg anyway.”
Many were upset by how the actors spoke of the romance and categorizing the woman as promiscuous for simply choosing one man over others. Some called it “unbelievable,” others labeled it “slut-shaming” and “appalling,” while most came to the consensus it was sexist and misogynistic. On social media, some even vowed to not see the highly-anticipated film.
Because of the reaction, both actors subsequently apologized. “We answered in a very juvenile and offensive way that rightfully angered some fans. I regret it and sincerely apologize,” Evans said in a statement. Renner echoed his sentiments with a similarly crafted concession. “I am sorry that this tasteless joke about a fictional character offended anyone,” he said. “It was not meant to be serious in any way. Just poking fun during an exhausting and tedious press tour.”
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