When Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner slut-shamed Black Widow, had to apologise

While promoting 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, actors Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner courted controversy when they described Scarlett Johansson’s superhero character Black Widow as ‘a complete wh*re’ and a ‘slut’.

In an interview with Digital Spy, Evans and Renner were asked about Black Widow being paired off with other male characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to which Renner said, “She’s a slut.” As they laughed together, Evans said, “a complete wh*re.”

The comments attracted severe backlash from fans. “The Chris Evans/Jeremy Renner joke about Natasha being a whore and just a flirty sidekick made me cringe. Gross,” one person had written on Twitter. Black Widow was at the centre of a similar controversy after the first Avengers film, in which the character Loki used an archaic slur -- ‘mewling quim’ -- against her.

Evans and Renner, who play Captain America and Hawkeye in the Marvel films, apologised individually for their words.

Evans 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.”

Renner said in his 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.”

Follow @htshowbiz for more