Nick Fury actor Samuel L. Jackson responds to Quentin Tarantino's claims that Marvel Cinematic Universe actors aren't real movie stars. After getting its start in 2008, the MCU has found itself at the center of much debate in recent years as filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola have criticized the franchise for essentially not being real cinema. Pulp Fiction and Inglorious Basterds writer and director Tarantino recently weighed in on the debate himself, expressing that actors in MCU movies aren't real movie stars because it's their characters who draw audiences in, not the actual performers themselves.

Now, in a recent interview on The View (via EW), Jackson offers his response to Quentin Tarantino's claims that MCU actors aren't movie stars. Jackson and Tarantino are frequent collaborators, having worked together on projects like Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight, but it would seem that, when it comes to this particular issue, the two don't necessarily agree. Check out Jackson's full comment below:

"It takes an actor to be those particular characters, and the sign of movie stardom has always been, what, asses in seats? What are we talking about?. That's not a big controversy for me to know that apparently these actors are movie stars. Chadwick Boseman is Black Panther. You can't refute that, and he's a movie star."

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The MCU Has Made Actors Stars

Tony Stark holding his arms out in Afghanistan in Iron Man.

While it's not difficult to understand where Tarantino is coming from with his MCU criticisms, Jackson's comment serves as a reminder that Marvel most definitely has made movie stars out of its cast members. Robert Downey Jr., for example, was a relatively well-known actor before he became Tony Stark (due in large part to his addiction struggles), but playing Iron Man essentially turned him into one of the most recognizable and well-respected actors working today. Similarly, Chris Evans had appeared in smaller parts prior to taking on the role of Captain America, but starring as the superhero across a handful of films has now allowed the actor to enjoy success in other projects outside the MCU where he alone can be a strong draw for audiences.

Chris Hemsworth is another example of a star who largely made it big because he took on the role of Thor in 2011. Now, more than 10 years later, Hemsworth undeniably fits the criteria of a movie star, heading Extraction and its upcoming sequel in addition to serving as the central villain in Furiosa, a forthcoming Mad Max prequel movie. Tom Holland is another interesting example of an actor who is clearly a movie star, although his career outside the MCU has admittedly not always been successful. Holland's take on Spider-Man has been met with almost universal acclaim from fans and critics alike, but his other movies like Cherry and Chaos Walking didn't really draw audiences in. Uncharted, on the other hand, did perform decently at the box office despite mixed reviews.

While Tarantino's argument against MCU actors isn't completely without merit, it also quickly falls apart when looking at more obscure Marvel heroes like the Guardians of the Galaxy. That particular superhero team wasn't very well known before James Gunn's 2014 hit, and it was actors like Christ Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, and Dave Bautista who brought that team to life and turned them into fan-favorite heroes. Tarantino is undeniably one of the greatest filmmakers of this generation but his comments about the Marvel Cinematic Universe do undervalue the incredible work that so many actors do to bring these characters to life, elevating them beyond simple one-to-one translations of their comic book counterparts.

More: What A-List Directors Keep Missing About Marvel When They Criticize The MCU

Source: The View (via Entertainment Weekly)

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