Civil War! Martin Scorsese may have backtracked on anti-Marvel remarks, but rift between old guard and superheroes widens
Martin Scorsese got into the weirdest fight we would have expected him to get into with Marvel, and it seems like he cannot stop badmouthing them. He has called the superhero movies more of a theme park, than an art form that inspires or elevates the viewers. Many filmmakers agreed with Scorsese, with Francis Ford Coppola calling the films “despicable”, Ken Loach attributing to them as a “cynical exercise” and Pedro Almodovar accusing them of being "neutered”.
Some of us are tired of this seemingly uncalled for attacks against the comic book movies, while many have taken to defending the Marvel universe, so much so that Scorsese has backpedaled on some of his harsh criticism. The newest comments he has made about the movies, as reported by Entertainment Weekly, still call superhero universes theme parks, but cushions it with "Well, look, the point is, in terms of this film, Netflix, theaters, what I’m talking about really are films that are made. Let’s say a family wants to go to an amusement park, that’s a good thing, you know. And at themes parks there’s these cinematic expressions. They’re a new art form. It’s something different from films that are shown normally in theaters, that’s all."
However, he warns that in the excitement to enjoy the event that is a superhero movie, "don’t crowd out Greta Gerwig and don’t crowd out Paul Thomas Anderson and Noah Baumbach and those people, just don’t, in terms of theaters.” In response to these statements, however, Marvel representatives such as 'Guardians of the Galaxy' filmmaker James Gunn and 'Iron Man' director Jon Favreau have been consistent that the older filmmakers are entitled to their opinion and that those filmmakers inspired their own desire to be filmmakers.
At the end of the day, whether they have the approval of the old-schoolers or not, Marvel and DC movies are making blockbuster movies that capture the hearts of fans worldwide. We do understand the frustration and the fear of story-based, acting-based, grounded movies being pushed out by these action films, however, the fight between the fanboys and the cinephiles will determine the box office success, which in turn will determine what kind of movies the studios put their money in to.
While it is disheartening to think of Indie films getting pushed out of the screens, or even Indie actors getting titillated out of portrayed heartwarming characters because of the razzle and dazzle of the box office numbers, superhero movies have done quite a bit to inspire and touch the viewers as well. Could we have hoped for a 'Wonder Woman' movie in the decade before superhero movies were a norm? Has 'Black Panther' not inspired children belonging to minority communities, especially the black communities, to aspire to become a kind and brave leader?
These films have proved that while superhero films may always be undermined as the movies created for children and adults who refuse to grow, it can also be vehicles that herald change and nudge opinions. However, we get Scorsese's and his peers' frustration, because despite being a respectable director who has produced one brilliant move after another, studios who flush out money for superhero movies are thinking twice about investing in his films. Evidently, no studio was willing to produce 'The Irishman' until Netflix, with its seemingly unreplenishable resources, stepped in. He is not only worried about his own future as a filmmaker but also about other young filmmakers who may get shoved out of the competition by the big-budget Marvel movies.
For now, it seems like there is a healthy mix of great story-focused cinema and theme park-esque Marvel enterprises. Will it continue to be the case, or will, as Scorsese seems to fear, there be no remarkable competition for the superhero movies in theatres soon? That remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure. It should not be up to the critiques of the superhero universe to decide the worth of those movies that they have admitted to not even watching fully. The worth of Marvel and DC movies should be decided by the fans and if the box office numbers are anything to go by, they love them plenty.