Karen Gillan, best known to Marvel fans as Nebula, has once again addressed the controversy around her revealing Ruby Roundhouse outfit from the Jumanji reboot films. 
Despite the look being intentionally exaggerated as a parody of video game archetypes, the actress says she still gets criticism years later.
Speaking with iNews, Gillan explained that the skimpy shorts, crop top, and leather harness were designed as a direct commentary on characters like Lara Croft – outfits born of the male gaze rather than practicality. She stressed it was satire, though not everyone seemed to pick up on the joke. “I can understand where people are coming from,” she said, “but it was meant to highlight how ridiculous these costumes can be.”
Ruby Roundhouse wasn’t meant as a throwaway sex symbol but as part of Jumanji’s larger satire of video game stereotypes – the brainy scientist, the macho explorer, the femme fatale. The humor lay in how the teenage players trapped in the avatars weren’t really anything like their outward appearances. Yet, some critics accused the film of perpetuating the very tropes it mocked, proving just how easily satire gets lost on audiences.
The debate also underscores a double standard that Gillan and others in Hollywood have noticed. Half-naked men are a common fixture in blockbusters, especially Marvel films, but a female character showing some skin often sparks outrage. The conversation reveals more about cultural discomfort with gender and sexuality on screen than it does about Gillan’s performance.
The Jumanji films were also pivotal career moves for Gillan. Coming from British TV roles like Doctor Who, landing back-to-back in both Marvel and Sony franchises placed her in the global spotlight, with all the scrutiny that comes with it – including over a costume she didn’t even design. As fans await the third Jumanji film, set for December 2026, the outfit discourse remains a strange reminder of how satire often becomes controversy.