Scarlet Witch's Costume Gives Us Hope

I have worried about the treatment of Marvel women in the now-ubiquitous series of films, but the release of concept art from Avengers: Age of Ultron on ABC's "Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe" special Tuesday night gives me some hope. Just as Elizabeth Olsen promised, the Scarlet Witch costume went in a new direction, and (thankfully) departed from the latex-clad, boobalicious Wanda Maximoff of old. This Scarlet Witch looks young, scary, contemporary, and most importantly, like she has a purpose in film beyond raising the number of tits-and-ass shots.

Don't get me wrong, I think Scarlett Johanssen has done a lot to make Black Widow a complex character. Yet on every poster she still has to pose her assets in tight black spandex, which makes me question Marvel Studios' commitment to its female characters. Gamora also had me worried, since the Guardians of the Galaxy trailer seemed to tone down the powers of destruction that define her in the comics.

But with this fresh infusion of fan-bating "concept art," I can see a powerful future for women in the Marvel movie universe. Notice how Scarlet Witch is standing in a somewhat natural position, clearly not trying to "emphasize her curves." Also take note of her completely kickass motorcycle jacket and leggings, which are a far cry from spandex. Let's hope that these awesome concept stills are harbingers of a new Bechdel-approved direction for the Avengers movies.

Images: ABC