Saturday Night Live skewers the male-centric superhero genre

"Chill," commands Saturday Night Live's parody commercial for a Black Widow standalone film. "Marvel gets women."

Scarlett Johansson hosted Saturday Night Live this weekend, and she wasn't afraid to poke fun at the mishaps that occurred during the press junket for her new film, The Avengers: Age of Ultron. One such gaffe? In one interview, Johansson's co-stars Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner called her character, Black Widow, a "slut" and a "whore," for which they have since apologized.

Following the controversy, Saturday Night Live created a trailer focused on the idea that Black Widow's character is about more than her sexuality. Her standalone film — a rom-com — features Black Widow as a young woman struggling to make it in New York City, breaking heels on city streets and interning at a fashion publication. Unfortunately, Black Widow's sartorial success at her internship is quickly overshadowed by her romantic relationships — a thinly-veiled jab at her character's portrayal in the Avengers movies. Check out the faux trailer below. —Meghan DeMaria

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up