Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has responded for the first time in public to the controversy surrounding superhero movies first sparked in October by Martin Scorsese, who said they were “not cinema” and closer to “theme parks”.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Feige brushed off Scorsese’s remarks, saying: “I think that’s not true. I think it’s unfortunate.”
Feige added: “I think myself and everyone who works on these movies loves cinema, loves movies, loves going to the movies, loves to watch a communal experience in a movie theatre full of people.”
Scorsese’s views were backed up by fellow directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, who described Marvel’s output as “despicable” and Ken Loach, who called them “cynical”. Film-makers such as Joss Whedon and James Gunn, however, defended the Marvel franchise, while Robert Iger, CEO of Disney, which owns Marvel, said: “I don’t get what [Coppola and Scorsese are] criticising us for when we’re making films that people are obviously enjoying going to and they’re doing so by the millions.”
However, Scorsese later amplified his criticism of superhero movies with an article in the New York Times, in which he said he felt a “terrible sadness” about the state of the industry.
Feige said: “Everybody has a different definition of cinema. Everybody has a different definition of art. Everybody has a different definition of risk. Some people don’t think it’s cinema. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. Everyone is entitled to repeat that opinion. Everyone is entitled to write op-eds about that opinion, and I look forward to what will happen next. But, in the meantime, we’re going to keep making movies.”
Feige, who is generally considered the main creative force behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has overseen the release of 23 MCU films since 2008 with a worldwide box office of over $22bn, making it by far the most successful film franchise of all time. Feige has also been asked to collaborate on a new instalment in the Star Wars series, the second highest grossing franchise of all time.