One of the best aspects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is watching the evolution of characters over multiple films in the over-arching story. Recently, we saw Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) not only explore his superhero backstory but shed his Falcon persona to become the new Captain America. And similarly, Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, has experienced quite a bit of evolution. Though, her evolution has been highlighted by a stark contrast in how Black Widow was presented in “Iron Man 2” back in 2010 versus how she appears in “Black Widow” arriving later this year. That is to say, she’s no longer treated as eye candy for men to gawk over.
Speaking to Collider, Scarlett Johansson talked about the way Black Widow has changed over the years. And in her mind, one of the biggest changes is with how the character was originally treated in a hyper-sexualized manner in her “Iron Man 2” debut. However, as her own life has evolved, she has seen Black Widow’s image evolve, as well.
“Obviously, 10 years have passed [since ‘Iron Man 2’] and things have happened and I have a much different, more evolved understanding of myself. As a woman, I’m in a different place in my life, you know? And I felt more forgiving of myself, as a woman, and not — sometimes probably not enough. I’m more accepting of myself, I think,” explained Johansson. “All of that is related to that move away from the kind of hyper-sexualization of this character and, I mean, you look back at ‘Iron Man 2’ and while it was really fun and had a lot of great moments in it, the character is so sexualized, you know? Really talked about like she’s a piece of something, like a possession or a thing or whatever — like a piece of ass, really.”
She added, “Yeah, and at one point [Tony Stark] calls her a piece of meat and maybe at that time that actually felt like a compliment. You know what I mean? 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, but it’s been incredible to be a part of that shift and be able to come out the other side and be a part of that old story, but also progress. Evolve. I think it’s pretty cool.”
For years, especially in the early days of the MCU, Black Widow was the sole female representation when it came to the superhero universe. And it was clear that marketing materials focused less on her character’s capacity for heroism and instead focused on physical attributes, with the sexually suggestive poses and whatnot. Of course, over the past few years, Marvel has done a fair amount to change that perception of its female heroes. But it’s pretty cringy when you look back at the early appearances of Black Widow, for sure.
We’ll have to see how her character continues to evolve in “Black Widow,” which arrives in theaters and Disney+ Premier Access on July 9.
