Ridley Scott has drawn the ire of many marvel fans after his scathing criticism of superhero films and the absurdity that surrounds them.
Ridley Scott has joined the likes of Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, and Francis Ford Coppola in speaking against factory-made superhero films. The House of Gucci director, who has spoken negatively about comic-book-based films before as well, was asked about his main gripe with the genre.
The 83-year-old director answered, “Their scripts are not any fucking good.” He continued, “Why don’t superhero films have better stories? Sorry. I got off the rail, but I mean, c’mon. They’re mostly saved by special effects, and that’s becoming boring for everyone who works with special effects if you’ve got the money.”
Before anyone took the opening to accuse Scott of hypocrisy, he acknowledged that three of his most successful films (Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator) all could be considered “superhero films” in one sense or another. Scott said of these films, “I think I’ve done three great scripted superhero films.
And he used his experience with these high-quality action narratives as grounds to question why the quality of the genre as a whole isn’t higher. Later in the interview, he clarified that he has no interest in making any more superhero films because he feels as if he’s done it already.
Meanwhile, he wasn’t in dismissal with the entire culture. Ridley Scott while criticizing the Superhero movies made sure he states what he has liked. He appreciated Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in DCEU’s Joker. “He is elegant enough to contain his rage and say, what older, wiser man can do this instead of me? So, it’s almost Shakespearean, and I think, you know, Joaquin can do anything,” he said.
His opinion also illustrates that the film industry is rapidly changing as well as the discussion over the conflict of quality of films and what sells more money along with generating a bigger audience. It is definitely something to consider, but it is safe to assume that Scott will not be directing something from the Marvel franchise anytime soon.