"It Was A Commentary On The Male Gaze": MCU Actor Karen Gillan Reflects On JUMANJI Costume Backlash

Guardians of the Galaxy star Karen Gillan has reflected on the backlash she received for donning Ruby Roundhouse's skimpy outfit in the Jumanji movies, explaining that it was meant as a play on Lara Croft.

News

By JoshWilding - Sep 04, 2025 03:09 PM EST

Filed Under: Video Games

Source: The i News (via GameFragger.com)

The original Jumanji movie was released in 1995, but 2017's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle rebooted the franchise with a video game backdrop and proved to be a massive success. The Next Level was also a hit, with a whopping $797 million at the worldwide box office and positive reviews.

That loaded into theaters in 2019, but for some reason, Sony Pictures has left the franchise on the shelf ever since. Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Who star Karen Gillan played Ruby Roundhouse in the movie, a tongue-in-cheek take on Tomb Raider lead, Lara Croft.

At the time, some backlash was aimed at the character's revealing costume, especially with Gillan serving as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level's sole female lead. Talking to The i News (via GameFragger.com), the actor admitted she still gets some "flak" for her outfit.

"I can understand where people are coming from. But it was a commentary on Lara Croft, the male gaze," Gillan explained. "Those are not practical clothes at all."

She added, "You’re usually looking at 15-hour days on film sets. It’s not a sustainable existence. I thought that was normal until now. Men will come in for, like, 15 minutes. And we’re there for hours."

"[The Rock] comes in for probably five minutes before he starts," Gillan noted. "I mean, he’s great. If I could be ready in five minutes, I’d be happy. But women – who wear more make-up, have more hair styling – are in that trailer two hours before the day starts."

A new Tomb Raider project is in the works, with Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner set to lead the cast as Lara Croft. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is serving as showrunner, and we'd imagine the planned Prime Video series will avoid utilising Lara's skimpy outfits from the games to avoid similar backlash.

We recently caught up with Jumanji franchise star Madison Iseman, and she shared a positive update on where things stand with a possible threequel.

"My lips are sealed! I don't know, we'll have to wait and see, but there's been some rumblings," Iseman teased. "That'll all I can say right now..."

If The Smashing Machine is any indication, Dwayne Johnson is eager to move on from popcorn movies and action blockbusters. That makes his Jumanji return seem somewhat unlikely, but The Next Level set the stage for the franchise to continue in a multitude of ways.

Are you hoping for another Jumanji movie? Let us know your thoughts in the usual place.

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42 Comments

1 2

KaptainKhaos - 9/4/2025, 3:08 PM

Oh man, the Luthor monkey bots are going to have a field day with this one

RedFury - 9/4/2025, 3:08 PM

I'd be down for more Jumanji with that cast. While they can't touch the original, I think what they did was a lot of fun, and I welcome more popcorn flicks in my life to bide the time.

dragon316 - 9/4/2025, 3:32 PM

@RedFury - all movies like them hate are all popcorn flicks it’s called entertainment for reason

TheVisionary25 - 9/4/2025, 3:42 PM

@RedFury - I not too long ago watched the original film and honestly putting aside nostalgia goggles , I think the new films were just as fun tbh.

Kiba - 9/4/2025, 3:09 PM

To anyone that bitched about her appearance in this movie....

Malatrova15 - 9/4/2025, 3:14 PM

Oh shure , really deep cut

MonkeyBot - 9/4/2025, 3:16 PM

She wouldve made a great Lara Croft.

theFUZZ008 - 9/4/2025, 3:17 PM

Why does she need to justify this?

Clintthahamster - 9/4/2025, 3:45 PM

@theFUZZ008 - Someone asked her a question during an interview and she answered it.

pucrepeap - 9/4/2025, 3:20 PM

Thats surprising that Dwayne the Rock Johnsons hair styling doesn't take as long.

TheVisionary27 - 9/4/2025, 3:44 PM

@pucrepeap - LMFAO

EarlChai - 9/4/2025, 3:20 PM

Who has a problem with the male gays?? Freakin’ homophobes!!!

😜

J0HNS0N - 9/4/2025, 3:22 PM

It's so annoying when these artistes say stuff like this, because it's such an obvious attempt to have your cake and eat it too. They want the benefits of having an attractive sexy character in the movie AND the benefits of making some social comment. Her look was designed to be BOTH things, depending on what you were after.

Usernametaken - 9/4/2025, 3:24 PM

So nobody complains about butt naked Thor but this costume is a debate?

Double standards bullshit.

I can honestly say that I have seen women wearing such skimpy outfit in real life.

pucrepeap - 9/4/2025, 3:31 PM

@Usernametaken - yeah, this is more practical than some of the sueprhero costumes, even the modest ones.

dragon316 - 9/4/2025, 3:34 PM

@Usernametaken - same here women with unzipped shorts unbutton clearly see what color underwear they have on women and teens , holes in pants see there underwear showing through holes

WalletsClosed - 9/4/2025, 3:40 PM

@Usernametaken - I've seen worst at my local target. I didn't even know this outfit was controversial. What the [frick]?

Usernametaken - 9/4/2025, 3:49 PM

@WalletsClosed @dragon316 Wait until those people complaining go to the beach for the first time.
I don't think they'll be able to recover from this.

BlackStar25 - 9/4/2025, 3:26 PM

....People complained about this....lol

TheOtherOn - 9/4/2025, 3:29 PM

Here's more material to "throw a tantrum" about that character! 🙄

GeneralZod - 9/4/2025, 3:46 PM

@TheOtherOn - Feisty.

Nomis929 - 9/4/2025, 3:30 PM

Not reallly much to gaze at.

XRayCat - 9/4/2025, 3:32 PM

@Nomis929 - I realllly disagree.

Usernametaken - 9/4/2025, 3:47 PM

@Nomis929 - How dare you! She's a goddess.

Wait, let me check something *checks google... oh she's only 1 year younger than me, alright*

A GODDESS!

TheOtherOn - 9/4/2025, 3:35 PM

"[The Rock] comes in for probably five minutes before he starts," Gillan noted. "I mean, he’s great. If I could be ready in five minutes, I’d be happy. But women – who wear more make-up, have more hair styling – are in that trailer two hours before the day starts."

Did she forget action stars like The Rock gets up 4am in the morning and spend 4+ hours multi sessions a day in the gym (plus take some pills!) to look like THAT?

Must be REALLY HARD to sit in the make-up chair for 2 hours while browsing Internet and talking on your phone. 😑

Those male actors has it REALLY EASY compare to all that. 😨 😱

Mercwitham0uth - 9/4/2025, 3:38 PM

I remember when cry baby fan-bitches boo hoo'd when she shaved her head bald for her role as Nebula.

WalletsClosed - 9/4/2025, 3:39 PM

The "male gaze" doesn't exist. More bullshit propaganda

Usernametaken - 9/4/2025, 3:53 PM

@WalletsClosed - It does exist, and the "female gaze" too. All those women getting wet seeing Robert Pattinson in Twilight is proof of that.

And there is a reason why they hire such good looking actors to play Superhero roles, it's to give a reason for women to go the theaters with their boyfriend or husband.

It's not rocket science people, women get horny too.

mountainman - 9/4/2025, 4:07 PM

@WalletsClosed - Oh it exists, and is completely natural and not problematic as the far lefties try to paint it as. People appreciate beauty. My male gaze enjoys beautiful women, natural landscapes and many other beautiful things.

WalletsClosed - 9/4/2025, 4:11 PM

@mountainman - You know what, fair play lol. That's what I meant. It's not a problem. People like seeing beautiful things

mountainman - 9/4/2025, 4:30 PM

@WalletsClosed - There seems to be a push from some people in the Western World to abolish beauty. Modern architecture and design sucks. We can’t acknowledge that some people are more attractive than others. The fat acceptance movement. Many other examples.

Sure some men can be extremely creepy about their gazing at women, and I get that it can make some women uncomfortable and to feel unsafe.

But regarding things like actors appearance - more attractive people are more pleasant to look at than less attractive people. This is wired into us at the biological level.

TheVisionary25 - 9/4/2025, 3:47 PM

I don’t remember people complaining about this but I wouldn’t be surprised considering the day & age we live in…

However Karen is right in that Ruby Roundhouse was meant to be a pastiche/parody of Lara Croft to an extent which I thought she did very well imo.

Anyway , I thought the recent 2 Jumanji films were fun and I would be interesting in seeing a third & presumable final one given the post credits scene we got in The Next Level of the game malfunctioning and the creatures & such coming into our world..

You could have the kids team up with their game avatars to put it all right which could be enjoyable!!.

Minghagz - 9/4/2025, 3:47 PM

Shame on anyone giving her backlash for it

Rosraf - 9/4/2025, 3:49 PM

I think the window has passed for a third Jumanji movie (of this iteration). The kids who liked the first two will have aged out already by the time a third one could be completed. Maybe better to start on the next iteration if they want to continue the franchise.

Usernametaken - 9/4/2025, 3:56 PM

Those movies were fun, but I don't think there is a good third story to be told with these characters anyway.

A sequel should start fresh, but after a board game and a videogame, what else could they do?

pucrepeap - 9/4/2025, 4:11 PM

@Usernametaken - Wordle

Usernametaken - 9/4/2025, 4:27 PM

@pucrepeap - Rock paper scissors.

THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 9/4/2025, 4:00 PM

It's just a [frick]ing crop top and shorts. They need to chill.

PapaBear562 - 9/4/2025, 4:06 PM

Admittedly, Madison Iseman and Karen Gillan are a big reason why many fellas watch the Jumanji movies, but the "male gaze" stuff aside, the movies were great and I hope we see a third given the teaser during the credits of the second film.

"It Was A Commentary On The Male Gaze": MCU Actor Karen Gillan Reflects On JUMANJI Costume Backlash

Guardians of the Galaxy star Karen Gillan has reflected on the backlash she received for donning Ruby Roundhouse's skimpy outfit in the Jumanji movies, explaining that it was meant as a play on Lara Croft.

MARVEL RIVALS: HEART OF THE DRAGON Trailer Reveals First Look At Daredevil's Character Design

CALL OF DUTY Live-Action Movie Now Officially In Development At Paramount Pictures

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.