Elizabeth Olsen's reaction to 'Avengers' costume is a sign that superheroes are changing
Elizabeth Olsen, who plays the Scarlet Witch in Marvel’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” voices her displeasure about the cleavage her costume shows off.
Elizabeth Olsen is speaking out about her Scarlet Witch costume in Marvel's "Avengers: Infinity War," pointing out she was the only person in the star-studded cast who showed cleavage.
Superhero franchises have been accused of objectifying women's bodies: From Halle Berry's "Catwoman" costume to Gal Gadot's "Wonder Woman" getup, it's clear that having a hot body and showing it off is part of the whole gig — something Olsen is not entirely comfortable with.
While the 29-year-old acknowledges her costume isn't quite as explicitly sexy as the comic-book version of Scarlet Witch (which consists of just "a leotard and a headband"), she still had concerns about the revealing costume.
"It's funny, because sometimes I look around, and I'm just like, 'Wow, I'm the only one who has cleavage.' And that's a constant joke because they haven't really evolved my superhero costume that much," she told Elle. "But then you look at where it started in the comic books, and it was a leotard and a headband so…. Oh, it's horrible, it's so horrible. So at least they know that's not cool."
Olsen points out that other female superhero characters in "Avengers: Infinity War" had costumes that weren't so revealing and that she wished her costume had been tweaked.
"Everyone has these things that cover them. Tessa Thompson does, Scarlett [Johannson] does," she added, referring to her co-stars, who play Valkyrie and Black Widow. "I would like to cover up a bit."
Olsen makes another very important point — that these characters, and their costumes, are not representing the average woman (or man, for that matter).
"I think of the costumes and what we have to wear — it's more about iconic images, because that's what these movies are," she says. "I think that's the goal with the costumes, and it's not representing the average woman."
In this age of body positivity and embracing diverse shapes and sizes, it would be awesome if the superheroes could follow suit.
Bottom line: While it's every woman's choice to wear whatever she wants — no matter how sexy or revealing it may be — if someone isn't entirely comfortable showing off their body, they shouldn't have to. And perhaps movie studios should take that into consideration when designing costumes for their leading ladies.
Read more: What Elizabeth Olsen Ate to Get Her "Avengers" Body (It's a Lot!)
What Do YOU Think?
Should Elizabeth Olsen's "Avengers" costume have covered up her cleavage a little more? Is it the responsibility of movie studios to make sure their stars are comfortable with the sexiness of their own costumes? Do you think women who dress sexier are looked at with less empathy than more conservatively dressed ones?