Dune Director Criticizes Marvel Movies: Too Many & Repetitive
Dune co-writer/director Denis Villeneuve becomes the latest filmmaker to criticize films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as being too repetitive. Villeneuve rose to stardom in the film industry with modest budgeted affairs including Prisoners, Enemy and Sicario. Following the Oscar-nominated success of the latter, he would begin venturing into larger-scale territory with the Oscar-nominated sci-fi dramas Arrival and Blade Runner 2049.
Villeneuve's latest directorial effort comes in the form of Dune, an adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic novel of the same name. The filmmaker has built a large ensemble cast for the project that includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Dave Bautista, David Dastmalchian, Rebecca Ferguson and Stellan Skarsgård with plans to divide the novel into two films. Though clearly a fan of large-scale projects, Villeneuve has opened up about one area of filmmaking he doesn't truly enjoy.
In an interview with El Mundo for the upcoming release of Dune, Villeneuve opened up about his thoughts on the world of MCU filmmaking. The director shared his belief that the films are far too similar to one another and that the roster has past its acceptable limit of installments. See Villeneuve's translated comments below:
"There are too many Marvel movies that are nothing more than a cut and paste of others."
It's been two years since Martin Scorsese began the trend of filmmakers sharing their criticisms of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its films and yet it still comes as a surprise when a new talent comes out against the franchise. Villeneuve's comments are certainly his own opinions and some audiences have shared a similar wane for a number of MCU films feeling too similar to one another, though his criticisms are sure to meet the same level of backlash as those of Scorsese and actor Stephen Dorff. Comic book fanbases, both in film and on the page, are an outspoken group as much as Villeneuve is an outspoken filmmaker that it will be interesting to see whether the latter offers further clarification on his comments, or even if his cast of multiple comic book movie actors defend their projects.
The Dune filmmaker's criticisms also come at an interesting time in which Eternals co-writer/director Chloé Zhao recently told Villeneuve himself that she used his films and stills from them for her pitch to join the MCU. With his thoughts now coming out after the conversation between the two, it will be interesting to see whether the Oscar winner shares his opinions to some degree, as with James Gunn and Zack Snyder, or comes out against them. It will also be interesting to see whether Villeneuve's comments will affect anticipation for Dune's October 22 release in the same way Scorsese's affected the release of The Irishman.
Source: El Mundo