The Marvel Cinematic Universe found its opposition in the form of veteran directors such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola who claimed that it wasn’t cinema. Talking about the usage of visual effects and the omnipresent greenscreen behind the actors, it seems that the two directors are not alone in this war.
Siding alongside Scorsese and Ford Coppola, there are several directors who have claimed that what the MCU creates is not cinema. From the plethora of directors in Hollywood, here are six who rallied against the MCU.
1) Jane Campion (much like Martin Scorsese)
Jane Campion has been known for creating movies like The Power of the Dog and The Piano through an extensive career in Hollywood. While directing her 2021 magnum opus, the director was asked whether she would ever consider directing a superhero movie.
In an interview with Variety, the director replied quite harshly that she would never direct a superhero movie.
“I think it’s safe to say I will never do that… They’re so noisy and like ridiculous. Sometimes you get a good giggle, but I don’t know what the thing is with the capes, a grown man in tights. I feel like it must come from pantomime.”
The grown man in tights could easily be a reference to Spider-Man or the countless heroes that the MCU has to offer.
2) Terry Gilliam
Well, this is a complaint that many people have been hearing about MCU films: there are just too many of them. Terry Gilliam, the director known for his work in the Monty Python franchise and other notable feats, feels the same way. In an interview with RogerEbert.Com, the director talked about his opinions regarding the MCU.
“It’s the tension between reality and fantasy that is interesting, and that’s why I don’t like all the big Marvel movies. There are too many of them, they are dominating the industry, and everybody just wants to see the next one and go, ‘Well, there’s the Hulk again.’
It seems that Terry Gilliam indeed has a fair point since after a while, the movies seem chaotic and mixed up with so many characters in the film.
3) Alan Taylor
Alan Taylor is quite an exceptional case since the director has already worked in an MCU movie before. Directing Thor: The Dark World, Taylor, who became famous after directing several episodes of Game of Thrones, found himself complaining to Uproxx.com about the MCU.
“I’ve learned that you don’t make a $170 million movie with someone else’s money and not have to collaborate a lot. The Marvel experience was particularly wrenching because I was sort of given absolute freedom while we were shooting, and then in post it turned into a different movie. So, that is something I hope never to repeat and don’t wish upon anybody else.”
The director never worked with the MCU again and even stated that he wouldn’t ever work in a superhero movie again.
4) Denis Villeneuve
Denis Villeneuve has found himself being hailed as a visionary director after directing several classic movies throughout Hollywood. Despite creating the 2021 movie Dune (which could be very similar to an MCU movie), the director went on to diss the MCU in an interview with Elmundo (via The Hindu Times).
“Perhaps the problem is that we are in front of too many Marvel movies that are nothing more than a ‘cut and paste’ of others. Perhaps these types of movies have turned us into zombies a bit.”
Villeneuve isn’t technically wrong since everything in the MCU seems connected to each other in some way or the other, giving the people a feeling of the MCU being a simple puppet show.
5) Roland Emmerich
The German film director, known for creating some iconic space movies like Independence Day, Moonfall, and, The Day After Tomorrow, doesn’t like the MCU at all. In an interview with Den of Geek, the director talked about how the MCU is the only thing he can see on television screens.
“naturally Marvel and DC Comics, and Star Wars, have pretty much taken over. It’s ruining our industry a little bit, because nobody does anything original anymore.”
Emmerich indeed speaks the truth since there is always an MCU movie going on during a casual television channel surfing.
6) Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott, the man known for creating movies like Gladiator and The Martian, is also an avid Marvel critic. Talking about his hatred for the MCU, the director stated in an interview with Deadline that the MCU was “boring as sh*t”.
“[Talking about the MCU projects] they’re f**king boring as sh*t. Their scripts are not any f**king good.”
Well, these are some of the directors other than Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola who seem to actively dislike the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Source: Collider
