If you ever worry that the Marvel Comic Universe has devolved into a total sausage party, these photos are not going to ease your concerns. These are photos from last night’s LA premiere event for Captain America: Civil War. This film features performances by Elizabeth Olsen (as Scarlett Witch) and Scarlett Johansson (as Black Widow), but neither of them came out for the premiere. So it was just the dudes. And it became a dude-fest, complete with smug back-slapping and Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. posing the entire time with their sunglasses on.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Civil War is going to be a huge movie and people are really excited for it – but the premiere event makes it seem like a meeting of He-Man Woman-Haters Club For Smug Douchebags. I’m including photos of RDJ, Evans, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Paul Bettany and… Marisa Tomei. Marisa is there because she’s the new “Aunt May” to Spider-Man, a casting choice which had fans scratching their heads and calling Marvel “sexist & ageist.”
Meanwhile, Chris Evans is still talking. He gave a lengthy interview about how he turned down the Captain America role several times but Marvel kept approaching him. He says he turned it down because he was wary of signing such a huge contract, and he has “social anxiety” issues with Hollywood. He also appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night and talked about his love for the Patriots and Tom Brady in particular. His Boston accent really comes out when he’s talking about the Pats.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I do love Marvel movies but never cease to be disappointed at the fact that they don’t push forward the female characters. I guess they don’t give a crap since they are minting money.
I shouldn’t be surprised, but I always am.
There are so many characters in this movie it makes it easy to notice the disproportionate number of men in comparison to women when you put them all together.
Ditto
Same & they do have great female characters who would be amazing on screen. Tessa Thompson from Creed is now part of Thor III but no description of her character has yet to appear. The rumors are that she’s Thor’s new love interest but she could be Amora or Valkyrie. Both super badass enough not to be described as Thor’s new love interest, side eye to you Marvel.
I heard she is Valkyrie. But it’s people speculating that she’s Thor new love interest, Marvel didn’t say that.
Ok good, I saw them just labeling her as Thor’s new love interest because Natalie Portman is out. I was hoping they were getting it wrong, as for her being cast as Valkyrie yess!
Valkyrie is a love interest of Thor’s, though. They have a relationship for a while in the comics. So why not bring that into the movie? I don’t understand when it became automatically bad for female characters to have romantic plots. Not every character needs it (could have lived without the Black Widow/Banner thing in Avengers 2), but if it adds dimensions to the characters, why not? Valkyrie in the comics is cool! If Tessa Thompson is playing her I’d be really excited because Tessa Thompson is cool, and cool + cool = awesome. And if she does have a romance with Thor, that would be really awesome because then all the people that get upset about color-blind casting will have to deal with a Marvel hero having an interracial relationship and I like watching those people work themselves into a lather. We all have our hobbies.
Yes, I know she’s his love interest in the comics. I was just saying Marvel wasn’t the one who said that she was his love interest in the movie. She might be but they didn’t say it other media outlets and fanboys are the one’s speculating that she will be.
And some fanboys have already started working themselves into a lather but it’s not as bad as you would think it is. So far, most are ok with it. Their main issue with her like Gal Gadot, is that she’s too thin to be a Valkyrie. And it has been confirmed that Tessa is playing the character.
@ V4Real
You’re right, we don’t know who she’s playing. I’m just saying, if she *is* Valkyrie, that would be cool and I wouldn’t mind if she has a romantic thing with Thor.
Whenever I hear guys say a certain actress is “too thin” to play a superhero, all I really hear is, “Her boobs are too small.”
Well, they are hiring from a pool of actresses, a group of women that for the most part aren’t really known for their particularly muscular physiques. I like Tessa and think she’s a really interesting choice.
No, nothing wrong with her being the love interest of Thor. I know Valkyrie has a relationship with Thor in the comics & if they are bringing it to the movie that’s completely fine. What V4Real pointed out for me was that Marvel hadn’t said anything about love interest but it was mostly said in media outlets & fan websites. It was leaked that she was going to play a character in Thor but not specified yet which one. People assumed it was one to take over Natalie Portman’s Jane who was the love interest of Thor. Instead of assuming that she might play a badass superhero like Valkyrie. That being said, is it weird that I want her + Loki together instead of Thor? Because I’ll dig that more than her & Thor.
“I do love Marvel movies but never cease to be disappointed at the fact that they don’t push forward the female characters.”
If you think about it DC hasn’t done much better with female characters. We are only now getting a WW movie. But a Ms. Marvel movie is also in the works. And it’s not like Marvel makes their female characters play the damsel in distress weak roles. Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Maria Hill, Peggy Carter,Sharon Carter, Sif, Frigga and even Pepper Potts are all strong characters in the MCU. They also made Jane a smart intelligent scientist as opposed to a nurse which she was in the comics.
They’re getting better with that with the Netflix series, which makes me hope it’ll cross to film in the next few years. They have a much bigger issue with POC, particularly where female POC are concerned.
Did you read about any of the #wheresrey stuff this winter? I thought it was especially pertinent when it came to the discussion of toys and merchandise – for example, the fact that it was an intentional decision of the Powers That Be and especially Hasbro to not do any Black Widow merchandise. It should be interesting to see how that is affected by the shuffle at Marvel last year… it would be awfully nice to see some movement on Captain Marvel.
Yeah, it was pretty weird without ScarJo and Elizabeth Olsen. ScarJo didn’t appear on the promotional tour at all until now and it shows.
I noticed Emily VanCamp was there but she was such an underwhelming presence, she doesn’t appear to have anything striking about her.
Elizabeth Olsen is filming in Utah. Scarlett is in New Zealand filming Ghost in the Shell.
So, basically the people/ men that showed up are the pathetic ones that had nothing else to do. LOL I could live with that.
… and Isn’t it a good thing that Elizabeth and Scarlett are too busy? Renner did a bit of early press with Amy Adams for Story of Your Life this week and Elizabeth has had time out to do press for I Saw the Light, I think their director is quite right to say no more. As for flying from New Zealand, not a chance.
“nothing else to do” uh. Liz and Scarlett are working. This is good news. Jeremy was also not there because he’s shooting with Elizabeth, and apparently Chadwick is sick. I’m sure they are happy to have a job than be smiling on a red carpet. Most of them don’t like to give interviews.
Lizzy said that she was able to get time off to promote I Saw The Light and Renner was going to have time off to promote Cap 3. I doubt he’ll be doing much promo if he’s still filming Wind River.
She and Jeremy did do some promo this past weekend, but I’m pretty sure they’re still filming Wind River in Utah, hence their absence from the premier. I would expect them to show up for other events on the weekend or when filming’s done.
Elizabeth Olsen simply isn’t a big enough draw to be needed for major promotional commitments for the movie. She wasn’t going to be on the tour anyhow, so I can get why heaven and earth weren’t moved so she could make it to the premiere.
Scarlett on the other hand, is a noticeable absence. We’ll see how the rest of the promo goes.
God, RDJ looks so smug. I so do not like him. He might aswell start wearing stilettos, the lifts are getting ridiculous.
Paul Bettany on the other hand, what a handsome man.
Seriously. Embrace the fact that you’re short, RDJ!
I never understood why people found RDJ so endearing. So smug and annoying.
I find him very endearing. Plus I get a kick out loving the men you guys hate, Affleck and Evans included.
I don’t mind Ben and Chris. I even like Ben. But I can not stand RDJ. I hate people who are so in love with themselves.
So we prefer men who cheat on their wives with the nanny and go HAM on the midlife crisis botox and lame tattoos?
RDJ pulled off a near-impossible career renaissance from the brink of self-destruction, and while I may not always like his persona, I respect that he took responsibility for his past and has tried to help out fellow former addicts once they got clean. He can wear all the lifts he likes, I won’t hate.
@teacake.
You know people only like to point out the bad in people. Pointing out the good, where’s the fun it that? If RDJ being smug, annoying and wearing lifts is his fall from grace then he’s doing pretty well. The man has donated money to numerous charities. He gives money to drug rehabilitation centers in the Venice Beach area. He has helped former drug addicts find employment. He not only donated a lump sum of money to an old movie theater that was about to close its doors, he showed up and assisted with the fundraiser. Shows up to kids hospitals and birthday parties and even had a movie showing of The Winter Soldier for about 50 kids at his house when he could have just said no, I’m too busy. He also paid for a young former drug addict cottage tuition. I haven’t heard anything about him being rude to fans but because he has an over the top personality, he’s a bad guy. And he should be in love with himself because years ago we know that he didn’t give a crap about his life and it could have came to an end.
@V4Real you know people can find other people annoying without thinking they’re bad people? I’m sure he does wonderfull things, but he’s also smug and arrogant. These things aren’t mutually exclusive.
@Locke Lamora – yeah, well, I find Ben’s midlife crisis nanny-banging, bad tattoos, facial injections and pap strolls rather more off-putting than RDJ’s smugness and lack of height.
Different strokes, I suppose.
considering the fold in his pants at ankle height, I’d say that his heels are about as high as the lady he’s standing next to in the last pic.
That lady standing next to him is his wife Susan.
ah, ok thanks. The picture’s proportions were strange when I clicked to enlarge, so her face looked unrecognisable.
I’m ready for Iron Man to not be the focus of the Marvel stuff any more, I’m kind of over the character. Aside from that, I don’t have particularly strong feelings on RDJ, but hasn’t he kind of earned a little bit of smugness here? He basically launched the entire Marvel machine with Iron Man, and even helped his co-stars negotiate for better paydays. And he’s a boisterous dude.
I feel the same. I liked Ironman but enough.
His lifts are SO HIGH!! And Chris is actually wearing lifts too, did you notice?
Were they supposed to hog-tie the women and bring them to the event? What if they had other commitments?
Bring on the sausage!
Amen!
@Lookyloo
That’s what I’m saying. People are acting like Marvel banned the ladies from showing up. They had other engagements and couldn’t attend, simple as that. I swear some people love to yell fire in a movie theater.
Agreed!
+1
Seriously.
Scarjo and Elizabeth are MIA because they’re working, not because Marvel launched some conspiracy to keep them out of the press.
Agreed. ScarJo probably has the best active careers out of the Avengers at this point (RDJ gets paid the most, of course, but I don’t think he has as many other projects going at one time). I don’t find it all that surprising that she has something else to do.
Absolutely! Nothing wrong with some objectification of attractive men. And in nice suits! Love it.
God Chris has such a punchable face. I really can’t stand the guy. Those glasses are making his douche face even stronger.
That’s exactly what I feel about RDJ. Such a punchable face.
I kinda agree. There’s something in his face that’s the opposite of charisma for me. He and Henry Cavill. Just acres of void nothingness.
I don’t care for him in real life, but he’s perfect as Cap.
Wayyyyyyy better and more interesting than Henry as Superman, which is a shock considering that I used to find comic-book Superman and Captain America equally dull and didn’t think Evans could pull off playing someone who wasn’t a frat bro.
I find Chris Evans irritating as well. Glad I’m not the only one!
This is why I do not give a crap about Marvel movies. It’s such a “Bro” fest.
I can’t help myself I think Evan is hot… whyyyy brain, why?
ITA. I realize that every time he opens his mouth, something dumb comes out….but I’d ride that into the sunset. He’s just SO good looking.
Captain America = snooze fest. I’m sorry to say that my bf is Marvel’s b**ch. No matter how they milk these franchises, ignore the women, and basically play into the little boy fantasies of the comics my father’s generation read growing up, my otherwise artsy, sensitive, counter-culture immersed bf eats it up. The most overdone, rehashed, mass marketed commercial mainstream films of all time. Ugh.
If he’s that sensitive and artsy then the marvel stuff is just his escape. It does your head in to be perfectly counter culture all the time. I do the same with cheesy books.
Yeah, I get that, but I didn’t realize that a couple Marvel movies ten years ago were going to morph into a lifestyle. New films every few months, tv shows, web shows…uuuuuuuggggghhhh. 😉
Sebastian Stan <3
+1 ! Sebastian is so charming!
Every time I see him I sigh to myself and whisper, “He’s so dreamy.”
Yes to Sebastian!
Thissss!
Well I believe Scarlett is off filming the Ghost in the Shell movie, you know the legendary Japanese Anime…now with white actors in the lead 🙄 so she’s busy…being part of the problem.
Marvel has done a lame job with their female characters for the most part, so at least this likely means the actresses are off working on other things.
THANK YOUU. Absolutely agreed on that.
This.
Ugh, they’re still going ahead with that? I had hoped that project was scrapped. At least that Akira remake set in New York with Robert Pattinson isn’t happening anymore, right?
…Right?
Marisa Tomei is 51. The new Spiderman in the MCU is supposed to be a teen-ager, around 16-17, who is being played by a 19 year old Tom Holland. Not ageist at all to have a 51 year old be the aunt of a 19 year old.
That’s exactly what I was thinking, how the hell is that ageist? It would’ve been worst if they cast Jennifer Lawrence as Aunt May now that I’ll understand. Marisa Tomei is a good actress & she fits the role, & she looks damn good for 51.
I didn’t get that claim either. How is it ageist? It’s not. This is like the boy who cried wolf.
It’s cool that her and RDJ are working together again. They did two movies together and they dated briefly.
@V4Real weren’t they romantically involved? or was that me wishing they were because Only You was perfect?
Marisa Tomei in anything is cool because Marisa Tomei is super COOL
I meant she and him not her and him.
Yes Lizzie, they were romantically involved around the time of that film. They also worked together in Chapman.
i was going to type that very thing, then it occurred to me that the comics might specify that the Aunt is much older. But it is isn’t as though the cast Jennifer Lawrence.
Ok! that is just freaky. I am not stalking you Lizzie, but we might be psychically linked.
HAHAHAHAHAA as long as Prince Harry is also stalking me with you, it’s all good.
http://www.rantlifestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/step+brothers_6151d3_3292376.gif
I agree, but I think the furore is mostly because one of the major Marvel superheroes is played by RDJ who is also 51. He gets a chance to have multiple movies as an action star. Marisa Tomei gets to be Aunt May, and has no chance in hell of being, for example, Captain Marvel. Unless Aunt May is Captain Marvel, and then that’s a hell of a twist…
Great point.
Okay that would be awesome.
In the comics she was often shown as a very old woman, with white hair, looking around 80-ish. However she couldn’t have been that old if she’s his aunt, so the artists were just drawing a 50-60yr old woman to look much, much older. Marvel have fixed that here.
What is with this post and it’s glaringly absent ode to Bettany’s tight pants?!?!?!?!!
I think it’s fine. It’s not illegal to be a dude. They watch movies too. Geez, this PC crap is getting out of hand. Everyone really needs to chill and open their minds. I am a female. We have ‘girl movies’ and no one asks if it’s ok or not.
I am owning it- I love the appearances with Mackie, Stan and Paul Rudd! They are so
funny together. And whatever else is/isn’t going on with Chris E, he does an amazing job as Captain America. I just wish there was some way to bring Agent Carter back into the mix- love that character.
Wow! So much unnecessary hate. These guys are just posing on the red carpet for a movie they are in. You are acting like Marvel locked up women in a basement. ScarJo has been completely absent from The Jungle Book as well as Civil War press tour. Lizzie is busy. Also wasn’t Ming Na Wen and the ladies of AOS and Emily Van Camp at the premiere? Also, how is it ageism if an 18 year old boy has a 51 year old mom? Seriously people are so freaking weird.
And if we are to complain about Marvel then why not talk about the blatant whitewashing in Doctor Strange-Tilda Swinton playing the Tibetian Ancient One. There was no mention of “sausage fest” in that last post about Benedict Cumberbatch, who is playing a white guy who goes to the east to learn mystic arts and becomes a master in the arts. Also, for a movie that talks about orientalism and mystic arts there were no asian actors in the trailer. But that was conveniently left of the last post cuz Cumberbatch is everyone’s favorite. These guys are just posing and all hell breaks lose. People just want to hate.
Well said ellie.
I read all BvS post as well as MOS post on C/B. I will tell you no one was complaining that they made Diane Lane who is only 51 now look like a 65 year old woman to play Mama Kent.
Yet they have a problem with a 51 year old playing the aunt of an 18 year old. Yes, unnecessary hate. People are complaining about men who are in a movie posing on a red carpet at the premier of their movie. Wow, just wow.
Thanks. You are absolutely right about the Diane Lane part. I mean, there is a movie where she plays a love interest of Ben Affleck and in BvS she plays Henry Cavill’s mom. He is 32 and she is 51 and yet no one batted an eye.
Also, as of now, CW press tour has been free of drama. No one has said anything inappropriate, even Jeremy Renner. So I don’t understand this hate. I mean, everyone is entitled to their own opinions but this was so unnecessary…very click-bait.
With the exception of the Batfleck casting, DC films tend to get a pass, despite not having made a Wonder Woman film through several decades now of resurrections for SuperMan and Batman – apparently putting Catwoman in two films a decade apart covers everything, and a disturbing lack of people of any color other than Morgan Freeman. Marvel? Terrence Howard, Don Cheadle, Idris Elba, Djimon Himsou, Adewale Adenoye, Zoe Saldana, Chadwick Boseman, Samuel L. Jackson. True, most are secondary characters and that needs to change but why does DC get.a complete pass?
WB has had the ENTIRE rights to DC characters since 1989. Every single one. Yet, they didn’t realize that they were sitting on top of a gold mine. Marvel was completely bankrupt and had to sell their most important characters like XMen and Spiderman to different studios. Marvel literally took their C-list characters and made them a household name. We saw a talking raccoon make its cinematic debut before Wonder Woman. Imagine if Warner Brothers had utilized their characters from the very beginning. We would have had a Hawkgirl movie by now. So many possibilities.
The only reason why WB are making superhero movies outside of Batman right now is because Marvel showed them how to make a successful superhero franchise. Marvel changed the pop-culture landscape and the business of Hollywood. Every studio is scrambling to create their own universe…hell, we are getting an MIB/21 Jump Street crossover film.
I am just frustrated that Warner Brothers have had the entire rights to DC characters since so many decades, yet the only heroes they have ever focused on is Batman and Superman. Wonder Woman was looooongggg overdue.
As a Romanian who has met Sebastian on home turf, my heart swells with pride to see him looking so fly on the red carpet and doing a fantastic job as Bucky. Damn he cleans up well. <3 Prea ghizdav!
Ok, we all know Hollywood is extremely sexist and ageist, it’s disgusting how they always cast much younger women to play the heroine/love interest to an actor BUT I don’t agree with the Marisa Tomei thing because this new Spiderman is seriously young, I’m not sure how old he’s supposed to be in the new reboot but Tom Holland is only 19 (and looks like he’s 16…) so 50 seems like a good age for an actress to play the aunt, that is, unless she is supposed to be playing a much older Aunt May. Also Marisa looks fantastic, she clearly takes good care of herself. Wish I’ll look that good when I’m older.
I can’t wait for this movie. It’s been ages since I felt the urge to splurge for 5 tickets for my family. Usually we wait until we can rent them, but I’ll pay for this.
I have a really conflicted relationship with those movies, especially given the whitewashing of the twins in the second Avengers film. I love them, but they do hold up the status quo like nothing else.
The red carpet appearances are a snoozefest. If you want to see a great female superhero series see Jessica Jones on Netflix. It is a powerful portrayal, very layered.
Representations in the comics themselves is very interesting. I’m too tired to research, but Harleyquin, Poison Ivy and other female villains are much more prevalent. There has been a female Robin. The current Bat is a lesbian. They’ve done their research – gender in readers is fairly equal.
In terms of network TV Supergirl, Flash and Green Arrow have have great female villains and supporting casts. Legends of Tomorrow has two female leads – Hawkgirl and White Canary. Agents of Shield has Mae and Daisy The women in these shows are as powerful as the males – they can kick ass and are Braniacs. Yes, this is a silly in joke.
Movies have to get with the times. Joss Whedon has directed the Avengers movies. As the writer/director of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; a creator of other strong/powerful female characters I can’t imagine he’s been thrilled. There has been rumblings about his dissatisfaction. Marvel/studios have a very strong control over storylines.
People are clamoring for Wonder Woman. Get off your butts and put out that Black Widow movie that has been bandied about for years.
How is this “toxic”? One of the female leads was there, the others were busy elsewhere. It’s fine. Good grief.
And I don’t see how it’s either “ageist” or “sexist” to cast Marisa Tomei as Aunt May. I realize the phrase came from a linked story quoting a bunch of tweets, but how can it possibly be sexist to cast a woman as someone’s aunt? Tomei is age-appropriate to be an aunt to a teenager or someone in his twenties. As an aside, when did tweets from random people become news? I see so many “news stories” quoting tweets. Ridiculous.
So is there going to be a romance between Iron Man and Aunt May? They’re both 51 years old. That’s the only excuse I can think of for this casting. (And it would certainly be interesting.)
I love it. Sebastian Stan = HOT. Paul Bettany = HOTTER. Chris Evans = I’D HIT THAT LIKE A HOME RUN. Something is absolutely wrong with me, but I am all about Dat Cap A s s. Also, Chris seems more sober and together on this press tour. That’s a good thing. We all gotta grow up sometime, Cap, comments about him liking a nice butt aside. (I’ve been doing LOTS of squats, Cap; come and get it.)
Like I said, there is something wrong with me.
Where, oh where are the pictures of Danny Amendola on this red carpet?
The beard is Toxic was not able to get past the beard………………