Let us take you back, a lifetime ago, to last Wednesday, when a new snap from the new upcoming Jumanji movie caused quite a stir. More precisely, former Doctor Who star Karen Gillan's outfit – or lack thereof – proved very controversial.
Some fans labelled Gillan's crop top and rather short shorts as sexist compared to the non-midriff-showing outfits of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black.
However, Johnson claimed there was an explanation, saying, "Her jungle wardrobe will make sense when you know the plot. Trust me;)"
Now the internet might have worked out the meaning behind Johnson's message: could she be playing an avatar in a Jumanji video game?
Let us explain. Last week, four newbies joined the cast:
So, what if the kids are sucked into the video game and become their avatars? That means Gillan’s character could suddenly become a young girl trapped in the body of an under-dressed woman – and as the kid struggles with the new identity, Gillan’s outfit could become a satire of overly-sexualised female video game characters.
Of course, there’s always the possibility that one of the boys will control Gillan – cue the cringe-inducing teenage boy stuck in a sexy woman’s outfit ‘omg I’ve got boobs’ jokes – but we're still holding out for the film taking down Lara Croft-style gaming gender stereotypes rather than reinforcing them. Yes, years after Lara Croft was reimagined as a more three-dimensional character. But there is hope nonetheless.
Jumanji opens in UK cinemas on 28th July 2017
