Clark Gregg laid down the law yesterday at an ABC Studios Tour event in London when he and Hayley Atwell were asked about Black Widow’s absence from most Age of Ultron merch.
The Agents of SHIELD actor, who earlier this year helped publicize a petition for more Black Widow toys, called the gender gap in merchandise “unacceptable,” explaining:
I’ll tell you about my daughter who’s 13 now. I tried to get her to watch the first Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., she looked at me like, “Ugh, Dad – it’s a boys’ show!” And then she got a look at Elizabeth Henstridge playing a biotech genius, and Chloe Bennet playing a computer genius, and Adrianne Palicki being a warrior, and now she’s right beside me with it. I think it’s got to be two steps together – as more and more of these issues are put forward things will change. And maybe when Agent Romanoff gets the film that she deserves, some of the merchandise will start to follow.
Hayley Atwell was then asked if she felt Agent Carter‘s popularity might encourage companies to trust in the lucrative potential of female superheroes; and although the actress expressed frustration with Marvel’s representation, she also emphasized the power of fans to enact change:
I don’t know if it’s going to change it but it certainly contributes a public platform to my quiet resolution to take over the world! The conversation between the creators and the audience is always an ongoing thing. They want to give viewers what they want, so it’s the responsibility of the audience to speak out about that. Peggy getting her own TV show came about through conversations with the fans who wanted to see more of her, to find out about her adventures and the stories that she had to tell.
Co-signed. More Peggy and Nat for all!
(via MCMBuzz)
—Please make note of The Mary Sue’s general comment policy.—
Do you follow The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?
