Star Trek Into Darkness' Alice Eve Is Proud Of Her NSFW Scene (Despite Backlash)
"Star Trek Into Darkness" may not be the most heavily regarded of the franchise, but there are some moments that stand out in the public consciousness (for better and worse). The first is the ham-fisted attempt to get audiences to believe that Benedict Cumberbatch was playing anyone else other than Khan in the lead-up to the film's release, and of course, that's precisely who he was. The other thing people might remember is a gratuitous scene where Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) sneaks a glimpse of Dr. Carol Marcus (Alice Eve) in her underwear.
A backlash soon followed, with people claiming the scene served no narrative purpose other than objectifying a woman. The film's writer, Damon Lindelof, apologized to fans on Twitter: "I copped to the fact that we should have done a better job of not being gratuitous in our representation of a barely clothed actress." It's a shame that one scene is what most people take away from the role because Dr. Carol Marcus is an otherwise great character and a valuable member of the team.
One person who didn't see what all the fuss was about was actress Alice Eve. Years after "Star Trek Into Darkness" came out, she said how she was fine with doing the scene in the first place.
Alice Eve is 'proud of that scene'
While the "Star Trek Into Darkness" scene in question could be called "unnecessary" or "gratuitous," Alice Eve didn't really see what the big deal was. Years after the film came out, she looked back on it and told Inverse, "It was something I voluntarily worked with a trainer to be fit for, was very much prepared for, and very much enjoyed [doing] — filming, executing, promoting." It shouldn't have come as any surprise. That moment was likely in the script, so Eve probably knew what she was signing up for, which is why she worked with a trainer to look her best.
The backlash that followed also confused her, adding, "The feeling I shouldn't have done it, or that it was exploitation, was confusing to me." An argument could be made either way — both that the scene was made through the male gaze but that Alice Eve was in control and was a willing participant to show off her body. At the end of the day, it was just one of those things for the actress, "There are many things in the world that are confusing. I put it down to one of those anomalies. I'm proud of that scene, and all the work I did."
Eve would continue pursuing intriguing projects, including another science-fiction film, "Warning." That movie doesn't give in nearly as much to the male gaze, and "Star Trek" fans should seek it out to see Eve in another context.
It was actually a completely different scene in Star Trek Into Darkness that got cut
The discourse around Alice Eve's scene in "Star Trek Into Darkness" has numerous facets to it. Not the least of which is that Chris Pine, who is also insanely attractive, can also be found shirtless throughout the franchise. However, one could make the argument that that's actually part of his character, seeing how he's a womanizer. Dr. Carol Marcus, on the other hand, is pretty much all business from the start, so the insinuation that she would strip with Kirk in the vicinity may come across as odd to some.
The fact this conversation continues raging a decade after the film came out suggests there are many intersectional components to the scene with a myriad of viewpoints, many of which have valid reasonings. And all of this could've been avoided had the scene been nixed in the first place. After all, it wouldn't have been out of the question, seeing how Eve told other outlets about another scene that was left on the cutting room floor.
Eve admitted one scene that got cut that sounded rather superfluous, "There was only one scene that I did that didn't make it in. It's a scene where I explain why I have an English accent, but I don't think it was my favorite scene." Suffice it to say, if "Star Trek 4" ever gets off the ground, expect them to be very careful about who they depict in underwear.