Many people in Hollywood have trash-talked the glut of superhero movies, specifically aiming at Marvel Studios, which has dominated multiplexes for over a decade. Some of those include very big-name directors Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. Now one Marvel actor has responded.
Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor, one of the last O.G. characters that is still swinging in the MCU, stated:
“That’s super depressing when I hear that. There goes two of my heroes I won’t work with. I guess they’re not a fan of me.”
He went on to add:
“I’m thankful that I have been a part of something that kept people in cinemas. Now, whether or not those films were to the detriment of other films, I don’t know. I don’t love when we start scrutinizing each other when there’s so much fragility in the business and in this space of the arts as it is.”
“In a heartbeat I would leap to work with any of them. But I say it more to the broader opinion around that topic. I don’t think any of us have the answer, but we’re trying.”
It’s unknown whether or not fans will see Thor again following the lackluster performance of Thor: Love and Thunder. But that film did set things up for potential future installments with Thor adopting Love, the biological daughter of Gorr the God Butcher. However, two more Avengers movies are coming out and, as stated, Thor is one of the only O.G. Marvel stars still around.
The Criticisms Chris Hemsworth Responded To
For the record, this was Tarantino’s statement against Marvel:
Part of the Marvel-ization of Hollywood is… you have all these actors who have become famous playing these characters. But they’re not movie stars. Right? Captain America is the star. Or Thor is the star. I mean, I’m not the first person to say that. I think that’s been said a zillion times…but it’s like, you know, it’s these franchise characters that become a star.
Now, that’s not entirely untrue. While many of the Marvel actors have gone on to do other things, they haven’t proven to be huge draws at the box office. (Case in point: Robert Downey Jr. in Doctor Doolittle.) Hemsworth himself has appeared in some duds like the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters, Men in Black: International, and the Netflix original 12 Strong.
Then again, I personally don’t believe there are “movie stars” that automatically draw people to the box office. Whether it’s Dwayne Johnson, Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, or anyone else, they all have flops on their resumé. So maybe it’s not such a bad idea to attach to a successful franchise?
Moving on, this is what Scorsese had to say:
“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,. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.”
I dunno. I cry at a lot of Marvel movies. Like… a lot.
What do you think? Are comic book movies just fun popcorn flicks? Or are they the fast food of the film industry?
