Public figures have to be careful with their language in a world where our words can instantly reach millions. Actor Jeremy Renner, who is best known for playing Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was involved in one such instance. His ill-conceived ‘sl*t-shaming’ remark about his co-star Scarlett Johansson’s character, Black Widow, sparked outrage on the internet.
As per reports, Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner mockingly called Black Widow a “sl*t” during a junket interview when talking about her character’s romantic relationships with other Avengers. Nonetheless, social media users reacted quickly to these disparaging jokes, jeopardizing Renner’s reputation as the incident quickly became a social media storm.
Renner, however, issued an apology following the initial uproar.
Also Read: 2 Actors Who Almost Became MCU’s Hawkeye Before Jeremy Renner Stole the Show in The Avengers
Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans: Black Widow is a ‘W*ore’ and a ‘S*ut’
In an interview with Digital Spy while promoting Avengers: Age of Ultron, Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner came under fire for calling Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow a “s*ut” and a “w*ore”.
Questions concerning fans’ shipping of various character pairings from the franchise—Johansson’s Black Widow with Renner’s Hawkeye and Evans’ Captain America—were posed to Evans and Renner. The interviewer also inquired about the actors’ opinions of the unexpected pair, given the rumors that Avengers: Age of Ultron might allude to a romantic relationship between Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Black Widow.
Evans and Renner started laughing when Renner remarked, “She is a s*ut”, to which Evans responded, “a complete w*ore”.
The remarks were made in response to a query concerning the phenomenon of fans “shipping” Black Widow with several male characters in The Avengers films. Renner joked about the character’s legs, suggesting that they make her ugly, in addition to calling her a “s*ut”:
“She has a prosthetic leg anyway.”
Critics gave Avengers: Age of Ultron mostly positive reviews, and the 2015 film brought in over $1.4 billion globally, making it the fourth highest-grossing movie of the film.
Also Read: 5 Worst Box Office Flops of Jeremy Renner Before He Found Unparalleled Success With Hawkeye
Jeremy Renner Apologized Following His Run-In With ‘Internet Trouble’
In an interview conducted by Conan O’Brien (via EW) to promote Avengers: Age of Ultron, Jeremy Renner expressed his surprise at the response he received from the internet for his Black Widow remarks. He shared:
“Yeah, it was a joke. Off-colored. Whatever. I’m unapologetic about a lot of things, but I got into a lot of internet trouble. Because that’s a thing now, you can get in.”
Afterward, the actor clarified how his comment was prompted by a query concerning Black Widow’s romantic partners—she has been connected to many male characters in the MCU:
“Mind you, I was talking about a fictional character and fictional behavior. But, Conan, if you slept with four of the six Avengers, no matter how much fun you had, you’d be a s*ut. I’d be a s*ut.”
Renner and Chris Evans apologized for their remarks about Black Widow in the statement. In a statement given to EW, the latter said.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Renner added further in the statement.
“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.”
The Avengers star was among the most divisive figures in Hollywood after the Scarlett Johansson s*ut shaming incident, among other controversies. Nonetheless, he carried on portraying Hawkeye in the MCU and had a prominent role in his own Disney+ series, Hawkeye.
Hawkeye is available on Disney+.
