In the fall, actress Karen Gillan came under fire for her skimpy outfit in the upcoming Jumanji movie, in which she stars alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jack Black and Kevin Hart. Now, Gillan is explaining why the outfit actually makes perfect sense.
When Johnson posted the first promotional image of the classic film reboot on social media in September, fans loved the outfits worn by the male cast—and especially Johnson’s tight-fitting shirt and khakis. They were less enthused by Gillan’s midriff-baring crop-top that showed off her physique. Her cargo shorts, they argued, exposed far too much of her legs.
Feminists were outraged about how her character’s outfit catered to the “male gaze,” with some even calling it “sexist” and “outdated.” Perhaps they would have liked to measure the length of the exposed skin on her legs with a tape measure to determine if she was “decent.”
The Verge diverged from feminist outrage and pointed out the impracticality of her clothing. It suggested that Gillan’s character may actually have good reason for wearing the sexy outfit.
They were entirely correct in their assessment. Gillan has since come out to speak about Ruby Roundhouse, the character she plays. In the wake of howls of sexism and misogyny, the actress says that Ruby has a valid reason for her costume.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Gillan explained: “I’ve experienced something similar when I worked on Doctor Who and there was such an uproar about my costume when that was first revealed, so I thought it was happening all over again.”
“But I have to say, I’d never take on a role that was truly gratuitous for no reason,” said Gillan. “There’s a really valid reason why she’s wearing that. My character is really not happy about it!”
It doesn’t hurt to keep an open mind about what looks to be an enjoyable movie when it lands in theaters this December.
Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken game critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter and on Facebook.
