Chris Hemsworth is reflecting on the “harsh” criticisms of Marvel from auteurs Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola.
While both legendary filmmakers’ respective opinions on superhero franchises have been well-documented, Hemsworth is pointing out that not all Scorsese or Coppola films are successful either. At least Marvel usually does well at the box office, the “Furiosa” actor added in an interview with The Times of London.
“It bothers me, especially from heroes. It was an eye-roll for me, people bashing the superhero space,” Hemsworth said. “Those guys had films that didn’t work too — we all have. When they talked about what was wrong with superheroes, I thought, cool, tell that to the billions who watch them. Were they all wrong?”
And while Scorsese has pinpointed the increase of superhero films with the sidelining of indie cinema, or even just different genre films in general landing screen time in theaters, Hemsworth is steadfast in the belief that it’s not the kinds of movies that are made but rather the rise of technology itself.
“Cinema-going did not change because of superheroes, but because of smartphones and social media,” he said. “Superhero films actually kept people in the cinemas during that transition and now people are coming back. So they deserve a little more appreciation.”
Hemsworth has also taken issue with high-brow actors who star in one-off Marvel films. While franchise staple Robert Downey Jr. recently won an Academy Award — and also has voiced his gratitude for Marvel essentially resurrecting his career — other Oscar winners have been more critical of the franchise. Both Christian Bale and Anthony Hopkins have complained about the “Thor” films and working with green screens.
“It’s, like, ‘They’re films that are successful — put me in one. Oh, mine didn’t work? I’ll bash them,’” Hemsworth said. “Look, I grew up on a soap opera. And it used to bother me when actors would later talk about the show with guilt or shame. Humility goes a long way.”
