No it isn't totally gender irrelevant, but my understanding was that it had to do with the the absurdly sexualized costumes and poses depicted in comics. I didn't think Apocalypse choking a naked Hawkeye really addressed the point of the Hawkeye Test.

That's not really applicable.

Marketing and promotional posters are not targeting those who have already seen the movie…
Otherwise I don't really disagree with anything you wrote (and as for conveying your interpretation of the theme, I'd find the image of an oversized Apocalypse literally crushing Xavier underfoot as both more appropriate and more…