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Joss Whedon Responds to Martin Scorsese's Marvel Movie Comments
Joss Whedon has responded to director Martin Scorsese’s comments about Marvel Studios' movies. In an interview to promote his upcoming movie The Irishman, Scorsese claimed that Marvel movies are “not cinema”, which lead to a substantial amount of backlash online. People were quick to defend the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), including Guardians of the Galaxy 1 & 2 filmmaker James Gunn.
Whedon was heavily involved in the MCU during its early days. He wrote and directed The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron, in addition to co-creating the Marvel TV show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Even though he severed his ties with Marvel Studios years ago, it seems like he still appreciates what the universe has to offer, and has come to the franchise's defense in the wake of Scorsese's comments.
Whedon posted his response to Scorsese on his Twitter account earlier today. You can read his tweet, below.
Scorsese is considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all-time, having directed movies like Goodfellas, Taxi Driver and The Departed (among other classics). He has been making films for more than 50 years, and is known for his frequent collaborations with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. This isn’t the first time a high-profile person in Hollywood has made polarizing comments about comic book movies, either. Director Steven Spielberg has previously said he suspects the trend of big-budget superhero blockbusters will eventually go “the way of the Western”, referencing Hollywood’s obsession and eventual rejection of the genre decades ago. Spielberg himself is responsible for many of cinema’s most iconic blockbusters, including Jaws and Jurassic Park.
Whedon’s defense of the MCU is particularly interesting, considering his not-so-clean exit from Marvel Studios. He's openly discussed how working on Age of Ultron was a very stressful experience and prevented him from spending time on his own creative endeavors. Whedon is also known for having created properties like Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, whose fans share a similar love and appreciation for the characters and stories like those told in the MCU. It's possible that Whedon felt like Scorsese’s comments were an attack on the type of film and TV shows that he himself enjoys creating. It will be interesting to see if anyone else involved with Marvel Studios responds to Scorsese’s comments in the following days.
The Irishman will premiere on Netflix in November. Whedon is currently developing the original sci-fi TV show The Nevers for (most likely) a 2020 premiere on HBO.
