Samuel L. Jackson Responds to Marvel Movie Criticism

MCU actor Samuel L. Jackson responds to criticism aimed at Marvel films by big-name filmmakers. It can’t be denied that superhero movies have dominated the cinema for nearly two decades. The MCU alone, which began in 2008 with the release of Iron Man, has released 27 films to date, with at least 12 more in various stages of development. Jackson himself has so far appeared in 11 of the MCU films as SHIELD agent Nick Fury. Add to this the DCEU films as well as the DC and Marvel films that take place outside of their respective extended universes, and it is easy to see how these types of movies have cornered the market.

While these movies certainly have their die-hard fans, and couldn’t be successful without them, they have received much criticism from some pretty big names in Hollywood. Legendary filmmakers such as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese have labeled the films as “prototypes” and “theme park rides.” Independence Day director Roland Emmerich has stated that he believes it has become almost impossible to convince a studio to make a big-budget film unless it is a sequel to a superhero movie. With cinemas so full of superhero movies, many “auteur” directors have been struggling to find an audience for their work.

In a recent interview with The Times, Jackson has responded to some of these negative comments towards the superhero genre. Simply, Jackson has stated that “all movies are valid.” Jackson has gone on to point out that just because a certain audience member prefers a superhero film to a more “arthouse” style film, doesn’t make their preferences any less valid, stating “some go to the cinema to be moved dearly. Some like superheroes.” See Jackson’s full quote below:

“All movies are valid. Some go to the cinema to be moved dearly. Some like superheroes. If somebody has more butts on seats it just means your audience is not as broad. There are people who have had successful careers but nobody can recite one line of their parts. I’m the guy who says s*** that’s on a T-shirt.”

Jackson is, of course, uniquely qualified to be making this observation, as he has worked on both sides of the cinematic spectrum. Along with his roles in major franchises such as the MCU and Star Wars, Jackson has appeared in many Oscar-nominated films that would be considered “auteur cinema.” In fact, Jackson even appears in the film Goodfellas which is helmed by MCU criticizer Scorsese. As Jackson has pointed out, just because the famous lines of dialogue he says gets made into t-shirts doesn’t mean he’s more successful in film than others, just a different kind of successful.

While it is certainly true that it has been harder for some filmmakers to convince studios to produce their work, Jackson makes a good point. Movies are for everyone. What makes superhero movies so successful is that they are able to reach such a broad audience. Perhaps it’s true that if the genre went away, there would be room for more auteur films from directors like Coppola and Scorsese, and they certainly are fabulous filmmakers. However, their films often speak to a very specific audience, and if their’s were the only movies around, many movie goers may feel alienated from the cinema. It seems Jackson has put it best when he says “all movies are valid.”