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.
