Martin Scorsese’s opinions about Marvel movies are still generating backlash.
In a new interview on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, “The Suicide Squad” director James Gunn was asked about Scorsese’s comments on superhero flicks.
Back in 2019, on the publicity tour for “The Irishman”, Scorsese had likened superhero movies to rollercoaster rides, and saying that they were not real cinema.
RELATED: First Look At Leonardo DiCaprio In Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’
The legendary director went on to clarify his comments in an opinion article for The New York Times, writing, “So, you might ask, what’s my problem? Why not just let superhero films and other franchise films be? The reason is simple. In many places around this country and around the world, franchise films are now your primary choice if you want to see something on the big screen.”
Responding to Scorsese’s views on the podcast episode, Gunn said, “I just think it seems awful cynical that he would keep coming out against Marvel and then that is the only thing that would get him press for his movie. So he just kept coming out against Marvel so that he could get press for his movie. He’s creating his movie in the shadow of the Marvel films, and so he uses that to get attention for something he wasn’t getting as much attention as he wanted for it.”
He continued, “He’s one of the greatest filmmakers who’s ever existed. I love his movies. I can watch his movies with no problem. And he said a lot of things I agree with. There are a lot of things that are true about what he said.”
Gunn added, “There are a lot of heartless, soulless, spectacle films out there that don’t reflect what should be happening. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve talked to film directors before they went and made a big movie, and said, ‘Hey, we’re in this together, let’s do something different with these big movies. Let’s make them something different than everything that has come before them.’ And then see them cater to every single studio whim and be grossed out, frankly.”
On Twitter, many came to Scorsese’s defence against Gunn’s comments.
I really hate to balloon these comments but that's about to happen anyways. Dear lord, imagine thinking the only reason you might have an opinion on a medium you worked for 50+ years is because you're trying to do PR for your movie. Brain worms. pic.twitter.com/5CxODgcHHF
— Peter Labuza (@labuzamovies) August 4, 2021
James Gunn saying Scorsese criticised the MCU to get press for his movie as if he didn't do the same thing for The Suicide Squad just a few weeks ago by calling the entire superhero genre boring 😐😐 pic.twitter.com/VWHhXkQpfJ
— Advit (@addyvit) August 4, 2021
the virgin James Gunn vs the chad Zack Snyder pic.twitter.com/FLpOafPRo6
— Nick Muldoon (@nmuldoon) August 4, 2021
i unironically like all of James Gunn’s work so far. sorry if this upsets anyone.
— Mike X. Nichols (@mikexnichols) August 4, 2021
Disney is actively trying to bury film history and current work from smaller filmmakers, Scorsese frequently puts his own money forth to preserve both. I'm sorry he doesn't like your feature length ads for the upcoming spinoff on Disney+ which will be a series length ad for the u
— Jessica Ritchey (@Ruby_Stevens) August 4, 2021
What no one’s pointing out is that Martin Scorsese made a movie about the greatest superhero of them all: Jesus Christ.
— James Urbaniak (@JamesUrbaniak) August 4, 2021