As movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Universe continue to dominate theatrical releases each year, more and more big names in entertainment continue to emerge and criticize the shortcomings of these films. One of his most notable instances came a few years ago when Martin Scorsese criticized his MCU, stating that Marvel movies aren’t movies. 2022 continues this important trend, with some of the most famous directors releasing their own critiques of Marvel movies.
Both James Cameron and Quentin Tarantino are highly respected directors in the film industry and have left some critical comments about the 2022 Marvel movies. to the film industry. Aside from the filmmakers, prolific cartoonist Alan Moore also shared his thoughts on superhero movies.
James Cameron questioned the maturity of Marvel’s characters
In a New York Times interview about Avatar: Path of Water, James Cameron compared his new movie characters to characters from Marvel and DC movies. One of his main points was that the characters were never “spurred for the kids.”when you talk about how AvatarCameron said he focused on the characters he played in the new film.[w]It happens when a character matures and realizes they have responsibilities beyond their own survival. It seems to depend a lot on whether you have
Cameron’s insistence that parenting is the only way characters can mature may be off-base, but his comments about superhero movies, in general, are more mixed. While movies often relied on witty dialogue to defuse tension, this writing technique is far from the invention of superhero movies. Shakespeare, for example, frequently inserts short humorous scenes between more dramatic scenes as a sort of emotional palette cleanser for him. If Cameron believes that understanding that a character has responsibilities outside of themselves matures the character, then Marvel and DC characters seem to fit that criteria: most superheroes are better off than others. prone to acting for others and willing to lay down her life for others, not to mention multiple of her MCU heroes parenting. Audiences can decide for themselves whether they think the superhero is too immature, but Cameron may need to elaborate on his critique if he wants to convince someone.
Quentin Tarantino doesn’t like too many superheroes
When Quentin Tarantino criticized MCU movies 2 bears, 1 cave The podcast, reports, focused heavily on his remarks that MCU actors aren’t movie stars. Tarantino’s real criticism of superhero movies, however, was not about the actors, but what he saw as the “Marvelization” of Hollywood. He expressed concern that the only films that studios were interested in producing and that many audiences wanted to see were superhero films. Tarantino has expressed concern that many fans are investing in franchises rather than individual films.
Tarantino may have been wrong about MCU actors not being movie stars, but his concerns about the number of superhero movies may be more valid. Disney and Warner Bros. seem to be focusing mostly on making superhero movies, and Sony Pictures is about to launch its own Spider-Man-related movie universe. Aside from the sheer amount of money and effort put into it, many fans would prefer the next installment of the MCU or DCU to the standalone movies. If superhero movies continue to be the most successful at the box office, they may continue to be a high priority for studios.
Alan Moore thinks it’s dangerous to stick to superhero stories
Writer Alan Moore is one of the toughest critics of superhero movies in 2022. Moore has long criticized the way the media, especially the comics industry, treats creators of superheroes. In an interview with The Guardian, Moore said he thinks superhero movies are “infantizing.” He went on to say that audiences who watch movies and want a morally simple life are “harbingers of fascism”. This should come as no surprise to readers familiar with Moore’s politics and his critiques of the superheroes in his work. watchmenbut it’s still a strong condemnation of superhero movies.
By his own admission, Moore hadn’t seen a superhero movie since. Batman This means that his critique of modern superhero movies stems more from his opinion of the genre than inherent in the films themselves. As with all fiction, individual audiences receive different things from the film. Some viewers crave the kind of simplistic reality that Moore worries about, while others have a very different appeal to superhero movies: humor, action, and visual effects.
Criticism doesn’t slow down Marvel and DC
Prominent members of the entertainment industry may continue to criticize the existence of superhero movie franchises, but nothing can dissuade studios from continuing to make them. , the film will continue to be made.While this is good news for fans of the franchise, it could have some repercussions for the film industry as a whole. Inishelin’s Banshee It did far less at the box office than widely panned superhero movies like new mutantThis leaves little incentive for studios knowing they can make more money relying on established IP to make other types of films.
Marvel and DC intend to continue making superhero movies, but problems could arise when more prominent members of the film industry sour on franchise films. If a talented filmmaker decides they don’t want to work with a big studio on a superhero movie, the quality of the movie will suffer. Going forward, Marvel and DC may be wise to take into consideration the issues raised by people like Cameron and Tarantino if they want to attract similarly high-profile directors to their franchises.
