Marvel Studios Boss Kevin Feige And BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER Producer Respond To Superhero Movie Critics

Marvel Studios Boss Kevin Feige And BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER Producer Respond To Superhero Movie Critics

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore have weighed in on the continued backlash aimed at superhero movies, shrugging off those "theme park" comments.

By JoshWilding - Jan 20, 2023 07:01 AM EST
Filed Under: Marvel Studios
Source: Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast

As superhero movies continue to grow in popularity, so too does the number of detractors the genre has. That includes some of Hollywood's greatest filmmakers, with Martin Scorsese previously coming under fire for comparing comic book adaptations to "theme parks," arguing that the likes of The Avengers and Black Panther aren't "cinema."

During a recent appearance on the Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige once again took a moment to respond to the continued complaints. 

He started by talking about how the genre draws unwarranted criticism, with many diminishing it solely because they're comic book movies. For Feige, though, it's no different than the backlash even the earliest Hollywood movies received. 

"There were some people, who couldn’t get past a four-color, printed, two-dimensional story. You know, they just couldn’t do that," the Marvel Studios boss said. "Just like today, dare I say it. The people who can’t get past a genre story or something that’s in space, or people who can breathe underwater. ’No, not for me.’"

Moore added to that, specifically referencing Scorsese's past comments. "'That's a theme park,' but really, we're just standing on the shoulders of the creators who came before us, who laid the groundwork for all this stuff."

While every genre eventually fizzles out, it feels like we're still a very long way from that being the case with superhero movies. Marvel Studios has countless projects on the way, while DC is about to embark on a new era of storytelling courtesy of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Studios.

There is still room for other movies to find success (look no further than Top Gun: Maverick for proof of that), but if comic book adaptations are what people want, then filmmakers need to find a way to dream up other stories that can find a similar level of success.

What do you guys think?

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ChrisRed
ChrisRed - 1/20/2023, 8:05 AM
Just like everything else, comic book movies aren't for everybody and that is fine.
I hate sports but that doesn't give me the right to say that it's not a valid form of entertainment.
If you don't enjoy some form of entertainment then don't use your time on it...
Fares
Fares - 1/20/2023, 8:14 AM
From my perspective, the criticisms are certainly exaggerated. Comic books could certainly inspire S-tier content in general, even ones that revolve around Superheroes specifically.

But when we look at the reality of the situation, and what has been produced out of the countless Superhero projects we have so far, I can only give the S-tier badge to a couple of films, and only a handful reach the A-tier status in my opinion.

So unless filmmakers like Kevin Feige, who focus mainly on producing Superhero content, start consistently aiming for unique and daring approaches to tell these stories, there will always be detractors. Detractors that exaggerate, certainly, but detractors that you're giving a thread to latch on to by not daring to step out of your comfort zone more often.

Wandavision and WWBN flirted with that idea. But on the other hand, Eternals happened, a movie that I really enjoyed, but a lot of people disliked. So I can't blame them for sticking to what worked before.
hue66
hue66 - 1/20/2023, 8:19 AM
Behind all the action and special effects comic book movies especially Marvel are acting at its best because they deal with war, relationships, conflict, death and loss, friendships, betrayal and a wide range of experiences that the actors react to and act on screen. The problem critics have is that they're from comic books but they go deeper than superheroes. Look at the daredevil series for example.
Urubrodi
Urubrodi - 1/20/2023, 8:28 AM
"While every genre eventually fizzles out, it feels like we're still a very long way from that being the case with superhero movies." Superhero movies is not a genre though, you can do a superhero movie as a western, sci-fi, thriller, comedy, horror... and so on. Something like Thor 4 and Logan have almost nothing in common for example.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 1/20/2023, 8:30 AM
When Phase one came out, I was watching every movie 5 times in theaters. I saw Avengers 10 times! Everyone was foaming out the mouth for more! And sure, phase two had its hiccups, which were made up immensely in phase three. Phase four was mostly meh, I really hope five blows us out the water. My point is, I'm not dying to see the next marvel or DC movie/ tv show. I'll see it once, if I like it I'll rewatch it. But as a whole, the honeymoon phase is finally over due to oversaturation on top of mediocrity. Hopefully Iger can steer the ship back because Feige has way too many strings he's trying to pull. Hat on a hat is the Marvel motto lol
mountainman
mountainman - 1/20/2023, 9:13 AM
@bobevanz - I used to see every MCU in theaters in opening weekend and sometimes a second time in theaters.

Now I tend to wait for many of them to come out on Disney+.
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 1/20/2023, 8:37 AM
Opinions are like A Holes.
BeNice123
BeNice123 - 1/20/2023, 8:43 PM
@slickrickdesigns - opinions are like a hot sexy girl laughing at me naked.
dragon316
dragon316 - 1/20/2023, 8:40 AM
Simple answer with critics . Critics look down on comic movies it’s reason they never get nominated at big award shows what black panther two And Batman that made list they think of them kids not serious movies full of comedy
BringFFtoMCU
BringFFtoMCU - 1/20/2023, 9:12 AM
If people stop talking about the critics' opinions, they will cease to carry weight.
mountainman
mountainman - 1/20/2023, 9:33 AM
Both sides are right in their way.

There is a lot of generic cookie cutter trash in the CBM genre. But that’s ok. Most of it isn’t intended to be oscar-worthy, it’s simply entertainment like most that comes out of Hollywood.

But, there are compelling performances, well written stories, and amazingly produced productions too. It’s probably not a good idea to completely write off the genre either.
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