When veteran film director Martin Scorsese dismissed Marvel movies as "not cinema" in 2019, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were outraged. Scorsese's comments were deemed to be the utterances of a man stuck in a different era, resistant to any change to the cinematic status quo. However, he was supported by other prominent individuals, most notably fellow vaunted director Francis Ford Coppola, who branded Marvel flicks "despicable".
Consequently, numerous MCU stars have hit back at the filmmaker. From furious responses to tactful insights, there is no shortage of opinions on the director's remarks. Here's every MCU star who responded to Martin Scorsese's comments.
10 The Late Chadwick Boseman Disagreed, But Had Nothing But Respect For Scorsese
As fans get emotional seeing his final MCU performance, many have reflected on the fact that Chadwick Boseman was nothing short of a total class act during his short lifetime. Accordingly, the Black Panther star's response to Martin Scorsese's dismissal of Marvel movies was classy and discerning.
Speaking to the BBC, Boseman said he had the utmost "respect" for Scorsese, but acknowledged that "Maybe it's generational" in reference to the 78-year-old director's contentious views.
9 MCU Director James Gunn Was Slammed For His Response
A controversial figure — not least because of his problematic past Tweets — Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn's response did not go down too well with fans. As the NY Post reports, Gunn has claimed that Scorsese's motive for criticising Marvel movies was a desire for "attention".
"I just think it seems awful cynical that he would keep coming out against Marvel, and then that is the only thing that would get him press for his movie," Gun said before suggesting that Scorsese "uses that to get attention for something he wasn't getting as much attention as he wanted for it." Twitter users slammed Gunn for his remarks.
8 He Got A Major Eye Roll From Scarlett Johansson
Currently in the midst of suing Disney, Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson is uncompromising and unabashed in her views. When queried by Variety as to her thoughts on the Scorsese fiasco, Johansson was characteristically blunt.
"At first I thought that seems kind of old-fashioned, and somebody had to explain to me, because it seemed so disappointing and sad in a way," the actress said.
7 Meanwhile, Robert Downey Jr. Wasn't Too Fussed
In an appearance on the Howard Stern Show, Robert Downey Jr. shared his 2 cents on the Scorsese controversy. The Iron Man actor explained that he didn't find the director's comments to be offensive and was largely untouched by the whole situation.
"I appreciate [Scorsese's] opinion. I think it's like anything where we need all of the different perspectives so we can come to center and move on," he told Stern.
6 Chris Evans Says Scorsese Has No Place Commenting On Marvel Movies
In contrast to Robert Downey Jr., Captain America's Chris Evans thinks Martin Scorsese shouldn't be commenting on something that he knows very little about.
"I think original content inspires creative content. I think new stuff is what keeps the creative wheel rolling. I just believe there's room at the table for all of it," he explained to Variety. "It's like saying a certain type of music isn't music. Who are you to say that?"
5 Mark Ruffalo Argues That The Director Should Put His Money Where His Mouth Is
While Mark Ruffalo did acknowledge that Scorsese had a valid point, he argued that Scorsese's remarks ultimately came across as hypocritical. In an interview with the BBC, Ruffalo, who plays the Hulk, said, "If we're living in a world where economics are how we measure the value of a society, then yeah, whoever makes the biggest thing is going to dominate... In that article [Scorsese] said something really interesting... He said, 'I am not suggesting that we subsidize films.' But that's exactly what he's suggesting. We should have a national endowment of the arts that gives money to another kind of cinema."
He then added that he "would love to see Marty create a national film endowment, and he could do this, that lets young, new talent come in that isn't just driven by the marketplace but driven by precepts of art. That would be amazing. That's really the crux of this conversation."
4 Samuel L. Jackson Made This Valid Point
As Agent Nick Fury, veteran actor Samuel L. Jackson has added some much welcome gravitas to the MCU. Although Jackson said that he is a big fan of Scorsese's work, he argued that the director's logic could be applied to his own films, which are an acquired taste.
"I mean that's like saying Bugs Bunny ain't funny. Films are films. Everybody doesn't like [Scorsese's] stuff either," he told Variety, adding, "There are a lot of Italian-Americans who don't think he should be making films about them like that."
3 Taika Waititi Had A Blunt Response
New Zealand actor and director Taika Waititi is famed for his quirky personality, which is reflected in his movies, most notably the Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit (2019).
Director of 2017's Thor: Ragnarok and its upcoming sequel, Waititi had a pithy comeback to Martin Scorsese. "Of course it's cinema! It's at the movies. It's in cinemas…" he drolly remarked to Associated Press Entertainment. Well, he has a point...
2 Natalie Portman Was Decidedly More Diplomatic
Speaking of Thor, one of the franchise's stars, Natalie Portman, also weighed in on the Scorsese drama. Chatting to the Hollywood Reporter, Portman gave a diplomatic summation when queried on the issue: "I think there's room for all types of cinema. There's not one way to make art."
1 Sebastian Stan Thinks Scorsese Simply Doesn't Get It
But not everyone is approaching Martin Scorsese's observations with composure. Sebastian Stan, who is famed for his highly popular turn as Bucky Barnes, said that the director didn't understand how much Marvel movies help people.
In an interview during the Fandemic Tour, Stan said, "People have been going up to me like, 'Thank you so much for this character, this movie helped me out so much, this movie inspired me. Now I feel better. Now I feel less alone,' so how can you say these movies are not helping people?"
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