Scarlett Johansson’s denunciation: the sexualization of Black Widow

The way the films of the MCU framed Black Widow back in the days of Iron Man 2 and Marvel’s The Avengers and the way we look at it now, a decade later, they are very different. With Black Widow ready to hit theaters in just under a month, star Scarlett Johansson traces the evolution of the character in a new interview with Collider.

Scarlett Johansson talks about Black Widow

“If we think back to the character in Iron Man 2, even though he was funny at the time and had a lot of great moments, the character feels very sexualized, you know?” Johansson said. “You really talk about her as a piece of something, like a property or a thing, a simple object, really. And even Tony refers to her as something like that at some point. “

“Tony at one point calls her piece of meat and perhaps at that moment it really seemed like a compliment. Because my thinking was different, ”Johansson continued. “Now the people, the young girls, are getting a much more positive message but it was amazing to be a part of that change, to progress, to evolve. I think it’s very nice”.

Johansson also talks about the sexualization of Black Widow in relation to the internal development of the character.

“I think Natasha uses her sexuality as a means of feeling, manipulating a situation and then being a shrewd person who will tear your legs off, right? She will be seductive this way and this is her power of hers; her power is in her sexuality and that has changed over time, right? ”continues Johansson. “Her strength was, really, her vulnerability. In Endgame she sacrifices herself for love. She saves her friend, she saves everyone. And I think being in that kind of mental space and making that decision, that selfless act, is so incredibly powerful. “

The interview is long and Johansson talks about a variety of topics, so it’s worth reading. Black Widow will officially debut in theaters on July 9 and will also arrive on Disney + VIP Access on the same day.