Filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and Francis Ford Coppola started criticizing Marvel/superhero movies in recent years, saying they weren’t ‘real cinema.’ While this pushed some big names away from the genre, Harrison Ford joined the MCU as Red Hulk in ‘Captain America: Brave New World.’
Ford shared his support for the rise of superhero movies in the film industry during a recent interview with GQ and hinted that he wouldn’t rule out staying in Marvel for a possible Red Hulk movie.
“I mean, this is the Marvel universe and I’m just there on a weekend pass. I’m a sailor new to this town,” the actor said of his MCU debut. “I understand the appeal of other kinds of films besides the kind we made in the ’80s and ’90s. I don’t have anything general to say about it. It’s the condition our condition is in, and things change and morph and go on.”
He continued, “We’re silly if we sit around regretting the change and don’t participate. I’m participating in a new part of the business that, for me at least, I think is really producing some good experiences for an audience. I enjoy that.”
Other Marvel actors have also defended superhero films from growing criticism. Chris Hemsworth (Thor) pointed out in May how the directors criticizing them had “films that didn’t work too.”
He added during The UK Times interview for his latest release ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,’ “When they talked about what was wrong with superheroes, I thought, cool, tell that to the billions who watch them. Were they all wrong?”
Sebastian Stan also addressed the criticism during an interview with Variety, saying, “It’s become convenient to pick on Marvel films. And that’s fine. Everyone’s got an opinion, but they’re a big part of what contributes to this business and allows us to have smaller movies as well.”
“This is an artery traveling through the system of this entire machinery that’s Hollywood. It feeds in so many more ways than people acknowledge. Sometimes I get protective of it because the intention is really f*cking good. It’s just f*cking hard to make a good movie over and over again.”
Stan will reprise his role as Bucky Barnes in ‘Thunderbolts*’ in May 2025. Meanwhile, Harrison Ford’s debut as Red Hulk will see release in February next year.