"Star Trek Into Darkness" director J.J. Abrams was a guest on Conan O'Brien's late night show on Wednesday night, and used that opportunity to discuss a growing controversy about the latest "Trek" adventure.
Despite mostly positive reviews and solid box-office returns, many have derided "Star Trek Into Darkness" because of a scene where actress Alice Eve is shown in her underwear. The shot, which is fleeting, was used extensively in the marketing campaign.
"Eve's character of Dr. Carol Marcus was touted to have incredible intelligence, though instead of allowing her to use it to effect the plot, she was used as the most blatant eye-candy I've seen in a long time," Jill Pantozzi wrote on The Mary Sue.
During his appearance on "Conan," Abrams addressed the issue. Sort of. The director showed a so-called "Star Trek Into Darkness" deleted scene, featuring the film's villain, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, in the shower.
The funny moment stands in contrast to how "Star Trek Into Darkness" co-writer Damon Lindelof handled the sexism accusations.
As for Eve, she was more than satisfied with how her character was portrayed in "Star Trek Into Darkness."
"It doesn't feel that J.J.'s female characters are marginalized," she told NextMovie. "He has a really strong wife, a very intelligent woman, and I think that he understands strong women."