Chris Hemsworth slams Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola for Marvel criticism

Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth has expressed disappointment over criticism towards films by Marvel studios made by iconic directors such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. He says he is bothered to hear their views about the superhero movies. In a new interview with The Times of London, the star opened up about the negative views about the superhero genre from filmmakers. (Also read: When Chris Hemsworth got frustrated playing Thor: ‘I felt like a security guard for the team’)
Chris said, “It felt harsh, and it bothers me, especially from heroes. It was an eye-roll for me, people bashing the superhero space,” Chris said, adding, “Those guys had films that didn’t work too — we all have. When they talked about what was wrong with superheroes, I thought, cool, tell that to the billions who watch them. Were they all wrong?”
When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Chris is part of the universe as Thor. He walked into the superhero world in 2011 with a standalone movie, going on to headlining three sequels and star in several Avengers films till 2022.
He asserted that ‘cinema-going did not change because of superheroes, but because of smartphones and social media’. “Superhero films actually kept people in the cinemas during that transition and now people are coming back. So they deserve a little more appreciation,” he stressed.
The actor also slammed actors who have talked negatively about their experience while shooting superhero films. However, he didn’t name anyone directly.
He said it does bother him when actors talk about a project with “guilt or shame”, as he feels one needs to show humility towards the team they have worked with. That being said, Chris doesn’t deny that there is “superhero curse” as one gets a feeling of being pigeonholed.
It was in 2019 when Martin slammed the superhero films. It was the same year when Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame shattered box office records, and his film The Irishman opened on Netflix.
“That’s not cinema. Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well-made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being,” Martin told Empire that October. The Oscar winner later clarified that his frustration was not about the quality of Marvel movies but about the dominance of them in the marketplace.
In 2022, Francis Ford expressed his agreement to Martin’s view in an interview with GQ magazine. He said, “There used to be studio films. Now there are Marvel pictures. And what is a Marvel picture? A Marvel picture is one prototype movie that is made over and over and over and over and over again to look different”.
Avatar filmmaker James Cameron has also criticised the MCU’s approach to character-building. He told The New York Times, “When I look at these big, spectacular films – I’m looking at you, Marvel and DC – it doesn’t matter how old the characters are, they all act like they’re in college. They have relationships, but they really don’t. They never hang up their spurs because of their kids. The things that really ground us and give us power, love, and a purpose? Those characters don’t experience it, and I think that’s not the way to make movies.”
In 2018, director and two-time Oscar-winning actor Jodie Foster in an interview to Radio Times likened superhero movies to fracking, and claimed that Marvel and DC movies were “ruining” the world’s viewing habits.
Chris will soon be seen in Furiosa, prequel of George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road. It will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival ahead of its theatrical release this month. In the film, he is playing a demented and villainous warlord. It is slated to release on May 24. (Read: Furiosa first reviews: George Miller’s Mad Max prequel hailed as a ‘triumph’ with particular praise for Chris Hemsworth)