Press tours can bring out some of the most side-eye worthy comments from celebrities. For example, the Avengers: Age of Ultron press tour has been a hot mess: from Robert Downey Jr. being forced to walk off due to a rude, invasive journalist to rumors leaked from the Graham Norton Show recording about cast members chanting ethnic slurs. The sad icing on top of the crap cake was Chris Evans (Captain America) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) calling Black Widow a “slut” and a “whore.”
When asked during an interview with Digital Spy UK about the romantic entanglements surrounding Black Widow, Renner responded, “she’s a slut.” Evans, laughing, added that she is a “complete whore.”
First of all, Steve Rodgers would never. Second of all, what?!?
Thankfully Twitter was having none of it and quickly took both actors to task for shitting on the lone female lead of the franchise. While Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D and Agent Carter both have a lot of female representation on the small screen, Natasha is usually the lone lady member, though Maria Hill might show up in some minor role. But mostly, superhero movies are a boys club and the smarmy comments made by Renner and Evans only reinforce that.
By Thursday, both actors apologized. CNN received a statement from Renner saying, “I am sorry that this tasteless joke about a fictional character offended anyone. It was not meant to be serious in any way. Just poking fun during an exhausting and tedious press tour.”
You can almost hear an exasperated tone and snark in the quote. At least Evans sounded a bit more chastened: “Yesterday we were asked about the rumors that Black Widow wanted to be in a relationship with both Hawkeye and Captain America. We answered in a very juvenile and offensive way that rightfully angered some fans. I regret it and sincerely apologize.”
It’s upsetting to be constantly reminded of the dude-bro culture that is so engrained in our world that one of the greatest female assassin characters in comics is called a slut and whore even in jest.
Image c/o Disney/Marvel Studios
