The Martin Scorsese vs Marvel “war” is back again after comments from Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad’s director James Gunn about what Scorsese was trying to achieve when he criticized superhero movies, but the reality is that this whole controversy and “battle” is pointless. The film industry goes through various trends all the time, but one that has stayed for over a decade is that of superhero movies. These have become some of the most profitable titles in the industry and have made way for connected universes like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC’s Extended Universe, but as happens with everything, not everyone is a fan of these.
Superhero movies have been criticized for years for different reasons and by people that have been involved in them, outsiders, critics, and viewers, but none have resonated as much as those by Martin Scorsese. In 2019, in an interview with Empire, Scorsese shared his thoughts on comic book movies, specifically Marvel movies, which were at their peak after the release of Avengers: Endgame. Scorsese, as honest as he always has been, explained he has tried to watch them but that they’re “not cinema”, and as “well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances”, to him they’re “theme parks”. Scorsese added that MCU movies aren’t the cinema of people “trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being”.
Of course, this sparked a lot of controversy among fans, critics, actors, and filmmakers, with many siding with Scorsese, most notably Francis Ford Coppola, who went as far as to call Marvel movies “despicable”, while others defended them, as happened with many Marvel actors and directors. Among the first ones to comment on this was James Gunn, who has worked in the two biggest superhero universes in film: the MCU, with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, and DCEU with The Suicide Squad. Gunn shared it was unfair to judge movies you haven’t seen just like many people did with Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ, but reiterated his love and admiration for the legendary director. Now, almost two years later, Gunn’s comments on the matter have re-ignited the “Scorsese vs Marvel” war, proving that the whole debate is senseless.
Speaking to the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Gunn shared he feels Scorsese’s comments were made to promote the release of The Irishman, but he also agrees with him in that there are a lot of “heartless, soulless, spectacle films out there that don’t reflect what should be happening” and which end up becoming formulaic. He then clarified his comments saying he disagrees with Scorsese in that comic book movies are not cinema and moved on from the subject. What the audience, critics, filmmakers, and more seem to forget in this fake war between Martin Scorsese and superhero/Marvel movies is that everyone is free to enjoy the movies they want, and not because some are more popular than others means they are more valid. Contrary to what many want viewers to believe, there’s no right or wrong way to make and enjoy movies, as there’s always a target audience for each of them. To many, the MCU movies have offered a lot on many levels, not just as entertainment, finding some emotional value in them and there’s nothing wrong in that, the same way Scorsese’s movies have offered a lot to the audience (whether entertainment, emotional escape, etc) and have also impacted the industry in different ways.
There’s a reason why Scorsese was asked his opinion on superhero movies in the first place, as more than 50 years of filmmaking have pretty much earned him the right to his opinion on cinema, and he’s constantly asked about it, though he usually talks more about what he likes than what he doesn’t. Scorsese isn’t entirely wrong about superhero movies, as Gunn recently explained, and in the end, he’s not the only person who isn’t a fan of these types of movies, just like there are many people out there who aren’t into the type of cinema he makes. The “war” between Martin Scorsese and superhero movies is pointless, as everyone is free of liking the movies they want and don’t have to give an explanation, and that’s what’s so great about movies: there’s something for everyone, and there’s no right or wrong way to make and enjoy them.