Don’t expect to see a superhero movie directed by Martin Scorsese any time soon.
The Oscar-winning auteur and director of the upcoming “The Irishman,” Scorsese doesn’t isn’t a fan of the superhero genre, specifically Marvel movies. The director was asked in an interview with Empire magazine specifically if he’s caught up with the Marvel movies, and though he watches a lot of films, Scorsese said that wasn’t able to make it through all 23 MCU titles.
“I tried, you know?” Scorsese said. “But that’s not cinema.”
Scorsese compared the feelings they create more closely to theme parks than an actual movie.
“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,” he said. “It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.”
Scorsese certainly has his admirers in the superhero genre, however. Opening this weekend is “Joker,” which borrows heavily from Scorsese’s “The King of Comedy” and “Taxi Driver,” even featuring his long-time collaborator Robert De Niro.
“Avengers: Endgame” is now the highest-grossing movie of all time worldwide, beating out James Cameron’s “Avatar,” another director and auteur who hasn’t been shy about expressing his frustration with the blockbusters.
Check out Scorsese’s comments in Empire, via The Guardian.