It comes as no surprise that the debate regarding the importance of superhero films has been an ongoing debate between some of Hollywood’s biggest filmmakers and stars. Amongst those taking a jab at superhero or comic book films, the critically acclaimed Martin Scorsese spoke about urging audiences to “fight back” against them in order to “save cinema.” Director Francis Ford Coppola had also spoken out about Marvel films in a GQ interview in 2022, calling them a “one prototype movie made over and over again to look different.”
In a recent interview with The Times of London, Chris Hemsworth spoke out about the past criticism of Marvel films from both filmmakers. Hemsworth shared, “It felt harsh. And it bothers me, especially from heroes. It was an eye-roll for me, people bashing the superhero space. 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?” He continued to add that “cinema-going did not change because of superheroes, but because of smartphones and social media.” He also believed that “superhero films actually kept people in the cinemas during that transition and now people are coming back. So they deserve a little more appreciation.”
Later on in the interview, Hemsworth seems to take his own jab at actors who have been in Marvel films and in turn, criticized the projects, “It’s li,e ‘They’re films that are successful — put me in one. Oh, mine didn’t work? I’ll bash them.’” He added, “Look, I grew up on a soap opera. And it used to bother me when actors would later talk about the show with guilt or shame. Humility goes a long way.”
