Clarifying his initial comment that Marvel films are not cinema, 'The Irishman' director admits his concern is 'losing the screens to massive theme park films.'

• Oct 26, 2019

AceShowbiz - Martin Scorsese has clarified his controversial comments about Marvel movies. The veteran filmmaker received various responses after saying the superhero films are "not cinema," but now he seems to suggest that there's room for this kind of films.

"Well, look, the point is, in terms of this film, Netflix, theaters, what I'm talking about really are films that are made," he began explaining to ET when asked if he still stood by his initial comments. Calling Marvel films "a new art form," he continued, "Let's say a family wants to go to an amusement park, that's a good thing, you know. And at themes and parks there's these cinematic expressions. They're a new art form. It's something different from films that are shown normally in theaters, that's all."

He went on admitting that his comments were more about his fear of other films losing the attention due to the domination of superhero films. "For them, my concern is losing the screens to massive theme park films, which I say again, they're [their] own new art form," Scorsese shared. "Cinema now is changing. We have so many venues, there are so many ways to make films. So enjoyable. Fine, go and it's an event and it's great to go to an event like an amusement park, but don't crowd out Greta Gerwig and don't crowd out Paul Thomas Anderson and Noah Baumbach and those people, just don't, in terms of theaters."

Scorsese previously told Empire magazine about Marvel film, "I don't see them. I tried, you know? But that's not cinema." He added, "Honestly, the closest I can think of them (Marvel movies), as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn't the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being."

Directors Francis Ford Coppola and Ken Loach agreed with Scorsese, while MCU actors like Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo and Sebastian Stan as well as "Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn and "The Avengers" helmer Joss Whedon have spoken up in defense of Marvel movies.