UPDATE: Chris Evans has issued an apology for his comments about the Black Widow character. "Yesterday we were asked about the rumors that Black Widow wanted to be in a relationship with both Hawkeye and Captain America," the actor said in a statement issued by his publicist. "We answered in a very juvenile and offensive way that rightfully angered some fans. I regret it and sincerely apologize."
Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans are in the hot seat after bashing the Avengers character Black Widow — played by costar Scarlett Johansson — in a new interview, BuzzFeed reports.
The Avengers: Age of Ultron stars were filming a video interview with Digital Spy when they were asked about why the sole female Avenger gets romantically linked — in fans' minds, anyway — to so many male characters. Instead of pointing out Captain America's own busy love life, or Iron Man's pre-Pepper romances, the actors joked that Black Widow was a "slut" and a "whore."
For those keeping track, not only does Black Widow barely get her own merchandise, she also gets slut-shamed by Captain America and Hawkeye. Renner added fuel to the fire by joking that the character had a "prosthetic leg." Why the hate?
According to BuzzFeed, neither actor has yet to comment. Disappointed fans, however, can't help but express their disgust on Twitter.
Let's hope a giant apology is coming Johansson's way. With so few female superheroes out there for girls to admire, it's upsetting that the Avengers are picking on one of their own.