Samuel L. Jackson Responds to Scorsese's Marvel Criticism
Samuel L. Jackson shares his sentiments about Martin Scorsese's recent comments calling the Marvel Cinematic Universe "not cinema." The critically-acclaimed director was doing the promo tour for the much-anticipated The Irishman and was asked about his thoughts on the successful franchise and the whole superhero movie popularity in general. And being one of the most revered filmmakers of all time, his opinion on the matter has caused a slew of conversation among fans and his peers in the industry. Jackson, being one of the first actors to board the MCU, has his own two cents to share in response to Scorsese's words.
Debuting as S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury during the first post-credit scene for Iron Man, Jackson has been in the MCU since its first film. From there, he has reprised the role many times, including an appearance in all four Avengers movies - all of which are blockbuster hits. In between his Marvel gigs, Jackson continues to star in other projects like The Hitman's Bodyguard, Life Itself, Shaft and Kong: Skull Island.
“I mean that’s like saying Bugs Bunny ain’t funny. Films are films. Everybody doesn’t like his stuff either. Everybody’s got an opinion, so I mean it’s okay. Ain’t going to stop nobody from making movies.”
From the looks of it, this issue doesn't seem to be dying down soon, especially as people who are/once involved with Marvel Studios share their thoughts about it. Both James Gunn and Joss Whedon have commented on the matter. While they're respectful and appreciative of what Scorsese has contributed to the industry, they also make a case for the superhero franchise and how it shouldn't be dismissed so flippantly. The franchise is far from perfect, but one cannot deny that its existence has affected the way Hollywood now operates - for better or for worse.
Scorsese isn't the first person from the industry to admit they just couldn't get on board with the Marvel Cinematic Universe or comic book movies. Through the years, revered filmmakers like Jodie Foster and James Cameron have come forward and expressed their opinions, which also got their fair share of attention. Everyone is entitled to their opinions like Jackson said, but when accomplished filmmakers like Scorsese speak, it gains more traction considering the body of work they've produced over the years. They've been in the business long enough to know that making movies requires hard work. While it's perfectly fine for them to say what films they like, it's quite disrespectful to blatantly bring down something just because it's not their cup of tea.
Source: Variety