“Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn is “saddened” that Martin Scorsese, one of Gunn’s favorite filmmakers, has dismissed Marvel movies as “not cinema” and compared them to “theme parks.”
On Friday, Gunn responded to an interview that “The Irishman” filmmaker gave to Empire magazine, in which he said he “tried” to watch the Marvel movies but couldn’t get through them.
“Martin Scorsese is one of my 5 favorite living filmmakers. I was outraged when people picketed ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ without having seen the film. I’m saddened that he’s now judging mine in the same way,” Gunn tweeted on Friday.
“That said, he’s added as much to cinema as anyone and I’ll always love him, and I can’t wait to see ‘The Irishman,’” he added in a follow-up tweet.
Gunn is the director of both “Guardians of the Galaxy” films and will eventually return for “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3.” He is also directing the second “Suicide Squad” movie at the rival superhero studio DC. Gunn is just one of many fans and critics who have reacted to Scorsese’s comments.
“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,” Scorsese said of the Marvel movies specifically. “It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.”
Gunn also clarified however in response to a commenter that he was wasn’t comparing the religious protests that followed “The Last Temptation of Christ” to his own superhero movies.
“No. I’m comparing people judging films they haven’t seen to people judging films they haven’t seen,” he added.
“Joker,” which opens this weekend, is inspired by Scorsese’s films “The King of Comedy” and “Taxi Driver” and even stars Scorsese’s long-time collaborator Robert De Niro.
Check out Gunn’s tweets below:
https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1180158383070105606?s=20
https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1180158818736574464?s=20
https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1180159892734263299?s=20