While promoting his book Cinema Speculation, Quentin Tarantino criticizes the Marvel Cinematic Universe and explains why he is not joining the franchise.
Quentin Tarantino Says He Never Wants To Direct A Movie For The Marvel Cinematic Universe. A lifelong lover of cinema, Tarantino began his career as an independent filmmaker with the 1992 crime thriller Reservoir Dogs which showcased the director’s special sense of humor and aesthetics. The film was a critical success and Tarantino continued that success with hits like Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds, and Once upon a time in Hollywood. Tarantino has won multiple awards for his work and has been named the most influential director of his generation.
Tarantino’s films are known for his pop culture references and often show his love for the genre films that have influenced his work, but that love doesn’t extend to one major franchise. The award-winning director recently promotes his new book, Cinema speculation, in which Tarantino discusses the many films that inspired him. While Tarantino highlights many of his favorite movies in his new book, including: The Texas Chainsaw Massacrehe also criticizes a genre he hopes will fall out of favor: superhero movies.
The famed filmmaker made his feelings about the current dominance of superhero movies over the movie industry clear when he did the press for his new book. Tarantino told the LA Times when asked that he is not looking for the list of MCU directors. He further criticized the franchise by comparing MCU directors to “hired handsand declare that he is not one of them. Check out Tarantino’s full comment below:
“You have to be a mercenary to do those things. I’m not a mercenary. I’m not looking for a job.”
Tarantino joins the ranks of filmmakers criticizing the MCU
Tarantino’s words may seem harsh to Marvel fans, but he’s certainly not the first filmmaker to criticize the massive franchise. Legendary director Martin Scorsese dismissed the famed MCU as no cinema in 2019, claiming that what the franchise produces is closer to theme parks due to their propensity for spectacle. Scorsese’s words naturally sparked backlash from both sides, with fellow Hollywood legend Francis Ford Coppola agreeing with Scorsese about the value of the MCU in the industry. Other MCU reviewers include: Alien director Ridley Scott and Parasite director Bong Joon-Ho.
While it’s expected that MCU fans will fiercely defend the franchise against such criticism, it’s also easy to see where Tarantino’s criticism is coming from. Since Kevin Feige’s original goal with the MCU was to create a unified story, of course, the individual voices of Marvel directors won’t be as prominent as they are in independent works. These directors need to make sure they stay in the universe, and MCU movies that stray too far from the franchise’s tone or style, like Chloé Zhao’s 2021 Eternals, may be poorly received by the public. Still, although Tarantino will never join the Marvel Cinematic Universethe franchise doesn’t look like there will be any directors anytime soon.
Source: LA Times
