Legendary filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has always been unapologetic about his opinions on industry trends. His recent comments on the Marvel Cinematic Universe have landed him in hot water with fans, directors, and actors who work for the Disney-owned studio franchise. What were his comments that led to a trending Tarantino versus Marvel?
Tarantino’s Controversial Comments
Speaking in a 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast interview, Tarantino claimed that Marvel actors are not movie stars. He also spoke at great length about the “Marvelization” of Hollywood, meaning the characters are bigger stars than the actors who are playing them.
You can watch the full podcast here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCx67cnQQf8?start=4223
- Tarantino also stated that he does not “hate” Marvel movies. However, it upsets him that this is the only ‘type’ of movie that Hollywood is interested in making anymore.
- He also commented that he would never work for Marvel, as they only need a “hired hand” and not a director.
Twitter attacks Tarantino
For a statement this bold by Tarantino, the backlash was imminent. Loyal fans of the MCU did not hold back from sharing their words on the platform.
#QuentinTarantino can say what he wants about Marvel, but every single movie he's ever made has been primarily white people bickering and killing each other. Only the backdrop changes.
— Jon Bon Journo (@_eclectic_eel) November 23, 2022
- Tarantino had his fair share of support too.
https://twitter.com/LazlosGhost/status/1596585936405422080?s=20&t=ToHTQ7YuakV69qC3nFVEcQ
- And it’s not just the fans sharing these sentiments. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu joined them on Twitter and aggravated them even further by retaliating at Tarantino. He posted a Tweet that has gone viral since then.
https://twitter.com/SimuLiu/status/1595125075040403456?s=20&t=tZ5k-9GnFJpTNd3PAsMrBQ
Samuel Jackson hits back at Tarantino
A surprise response to Tarantino came from his long-time collaborator and friend, Samuel L. Jackson. Tarantino and Jackson have worked together on iconic films such as Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, Jackie Brown, and The Hateful Eight.
- Jackson, who plays Agent Nick Fury, has snapped back at Tarantino’s Marvelization claims.
“It takes an actor to be those particular characters, and the sign of movie stardom has always been, what, asses in seats? What are we talking about?”
Samuel L. Jackson on “The View” via Entertainment Weekly
- Most notably, Samuel L. Jackson pointed out the late Chadwick Boseman, whose stardom has transcended his role in and as Black Panther to that of a cult figure in African American culture.
Marvel versus other influential directors
Quentin Tarantino is just the latest in a long line of veteran directors to be targeted on Twitter.
- American film auteur Martin Scorsese was the first to criticize and question the dominance of Marvel and DC superhero movies at the box office.
- Scorsese said in a 2019 interview that he considers Marvel movies more like theme parks than cinema. His views have been supported by his colleagues, such as Francis Ford Coppola, Ridley Scott, James Cameron, and now Quentin Tarantino.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OQ7HebQBIM?start=539
- Meanwhile, Robert Downey Jr., who plays Iron Man in the MCU, responded to Scorsese with due respect for his views, saying that it made no sense at all. Marvel’s newest Spider-Man actor, Tom Holland, joined him in opposing the acclaimed director.
- The director of Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn also shared his opinion on his Instagram about the growing criticism against Marvel by auteurs.
Popular industry opinion
- Recent Marvel movies such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has continued to win at the box office with each new release. As things stand, Quentin Tarantino will make his tenth and final film soon.
Does this mark the end of the movie star era? Or is the superhero genre just a forgettable fad?
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