Scottish actress Karen Gillan has stormed the US with her part in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, a franchise beloved by many for it's fun approach to the superhero genre.
The poster for Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 caused a stir online when it was released but not because of the dog in an astronaut costume or the rat-like creature held by Pom Klementieff.
Sexist comments about how Karen Gillan looked flooded the response to the announcement.
Fans instead took issue with the 37-year-old actress's "awkward" pose but also her body shape, causing the actress to speak out on her creative choice.
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Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 first official trailer was released along with a new poster, letting fans know the third and possibly final instalment of the franchise is set to hit cinemas on May 5, 2023.
The offending poster features all the main cast for the new Guardian's movie, with Gillan posing with her elbow up and hand behind her head - which some declared made her "unfeminine".
After the negative response, the Scottish actress took to TikTok to joke about her choice of pose. She said: "Okay, can anybody tell me what I was thinking when I decided to pose like this on an international, worldwide poster that will remain forevermore?
"I remember doing this pose and thinking, 'I think I look pretty cool here.' So I take full responsibility for this choice, but oh my God, what am I leaning against? What is my elbow doing?"
Gillan was able to make light of the situation, with fans sending love and support to her. One fan joked: "Start doing that pose for every movie and poster and create the Karen Gillian poster universe."
Another added: "If you don’t do it on the Guardians of the Galaxy 3 red carpet then I’ll be very disappointed."
Film TikToker @jstoobs said: "I think it’s exactly the kind of pose Nebula would do to look cool so you have clearly tapped into the character on every level."
Jstoobs, real name Megan Stuberg, added in a follow-up video: "Nebula is a f***ing miracle because, despite the fact she is played by the objectively stunning Karen Gillan, she exists completely outside of the male gaze."
She points out how photoshopped the first Nebula poster was but also notes that this was the "most demure and feminine that Nebula has ever looked". Megan explains that although she was marketed with "sex appeal" that's "not reflected at all" in any of the subsequent films.
In defence of the new poster, Megan said: "That's not what women are supposed to be, sometimes we're just standing somewhere and it doesn't matter if we look hot or not."
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