A new fighter has entered the ring! On one corner, legendary New Hollywood directors Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, who think Marvel movies are “despicable.” On the other corner, weighing at two “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies and one upcoming “ The Suicide Squad,” James Gunn has joined the discussion via Instagram to defend superhero movies.
At some point, press junkets became all about asking legendary directors what their thoughts are about Marvel movies. It doesn’t matter that Martin Scorsese made some of the most influential movies of the past few decades, including the ones that heavily influenced “Joker,” and it certainly doesn’t matter that Francis Ford Coppola made such influential films such as “The Godfather” trilogy and “Apocalypse Now.” The only thing that matters is what they thought of Captain America lifting Thor’s hammer. Of course, no one has asked George Lucas or Steven Spielberg about the Howard the Duck cameo in “Avengers: Endgame.”
First it was Scorsese comparing Marvel movies to theme parks rather than cinema, then Francis Ford Coppola called them “despicable” after accepting a lifetime achievement award at the Lumière Festival in Lyon (To be a fly on the wall for when Coppola inevitably talks about superheroes with Nicolas Cage!). Now James Gunn took to Instagram to defend comic book movies, comparing the debate to how people reacted to westerns when they became super popular, and saying it is okay to like and dislike superhero movies.
Let’s get something out of the way. There should not be any debate. Some people like superhero movies, some don’t. Superhero movies are cinema to some people, but not to others. Plenty of movies are definitely not getting made today because they are not superhero movies, but that will not stop us from asking legendary directors what they think of movies they most definitely don’t watch. Please, someone, ask Brian De Palma what he thinks of “Suicide Squad.”
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