Ever since Martin Scorsese decided to share his feelings with the world about Marvel movies not being "cinema," we've found ourselves in a civil war of sorts as filmmakers from the past trash today's most popular genre, much to the chagrin of fans and those who actually work on them.
Now, Disney CEO Bob Iger has weighed in and he doesn't appreciate Francis Ford Coppola's recent claims that Marvel movies are "despicable."
"When Francis uses the words, 'those films are despicable', to whom is he talking?" he asked before reeling off names like Kevin Feige, Ryan Coogler, Robert Downey Jr., and Scarlett Johansson.
"Frankly, the motion picture distribution business or the theatrical exhibition business worldwide has relatively thin margins," he continued. "When those theaters run movies, not just like ours because there are other blockbusters out there too, they do exceedingly well for them and they make a lot of money on them. That actually gives them the ability to run other films that might not be as successful, but there are people in different places that want to see them."
That's a strong argument, especially as it's hard to imagine any theater being able to survive on independent and "Oscar-worthy" films alone in a time when moviegoes clearly want blockbusters.
As for how he personally feels, Iger continued: "It doesn't bother me, except I'm bothered on behalf of the people who work on those movies. It seems so disrespectful to all the people that work on those films, who are working just as hard as the people who work on their films, and are putting their creative souls on the line, just like they are."
"You tell me, Ryan Coogler making Black Panther is doing something that is, somehow or other, less than what Marty Scorsese or Francis Ford Coppola have ever done on any one of their movies. C'mon. There, I said it."
Admitting he might have ended up sounding "a little bit more defensive" than he would have liked, he acknowledged that the likes of Scorsese and Coppola are "entitled to their opinions" but still had some choice remarks for them.
"You know, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese are two people I hold in the highest regard in terms of the films they've made, the films I've liked, the films we've all watched," he said before later adding, "If they want to b*tch about movies, that's certainly their right."
'Nuff said.
Hit the "View List" button to see every confirmed Marvel
movie and TV show coming our way in Phase 5!
The Inhumans - Rumored
A number of relatively reliable sources have claimed that
Ms. Marvel will reboot the Inhumans after that disastrous TV series, and that surely leaves the door open to Feige developing the
Game of Thrones-inspired movie he talked about all those years ago.
Vin Diesel is rumoured to be up for the role of Black Bolt, while
Avengers: Age of Ultron star Aaron Taylor-Johnson may end up pulling double duty in the MCU by moving on from the role of Quicksilver to star as the villainous Maximus the Mad.
Fantastic Four - Confirmed
Feige specifically name dropped the Fantastic Four at Comic-Con and rumours continue to persist that the reboot will arrive in theaters in 2022. Marvel's First Family has a lot of potential, as do their villains; after all, the likes of Annihilus, Galactus, and Doctor Doom could be game-changers for the MCU and their influence could be felt beyond just this one franchise.
With that in mind, it's no great surprise that this appears to be a priority for Marvel Studios right now.
Captain Marvel 2 - Confirmed
Another movie specifically mentioned by Kevin Feige earlier this year,
Captain Marvel 2 getting the greenlight wouldn't be a surprise, especially after the first instalment grossed over $1 billion this March.
The stage has been set for a "Secret Invasion," and there are a lot of gaps in Carol Danvers' history to fill in; for example, what happened when she returned to space, and is the Kree/Skrull War still taking place? Oh, and how does she fit into the present day MCU? These are all questions this sequel is going to have to answer.
Young Avengers - Rumored
Whether it's ageing Cassie Lang up in
Avengers: Endgame,
Hawkeye on Disney+, or the rumoured introductions of characters like Wiccan and Speed, it looks like the stage is being set for the Young Avengers to assemble either on the big screen or on TV.
Whether they're going to be the next iteration of Earth's Mightiest Heroes remains to be seen, but it makes sense, and would follow what happened in the comics after the team "Disassembled."
X-Men - Rumored/Confirmed
Feige only mentioned "mutants" at Comic-Con, while fellow Marvel Studios executive Victoria Alonso has indicated that she thinks the "X-Men" moniker is somewhat outdated these days. Fox ran the franchise into the ground, so moving away from that branding could be a smart move - but it's one that's sure to upset a lot of fans out there.
Regardless, a new take on the X-Men will happen eventually, and it will be fun seeing how Feige decides to reset the characters and whether he takes any cues from Jonathan Hickman's comic book reboot.
Black Panther II - Confirmed
This was Marvel Studios' big reveal at D23, and there's understandably a lot of excitement surrounding the movie, especially now it has a May 6th, 2022 release date. It's possible that will fall into Phase 4, of course, but it seems far more likely that it will actually be a major Phase 5 tentpole.
It's still early days for the movie, but expectations are high, especially with Ryan Coogler back at the helm.
Blade - Confirmed
It was at Comic-Con we learned that Mahershala Ali will suit up as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Blade, and while we still don't know whether that will be on the big or small screen, bringing vampires into this shared world will change it in unimaginable ways.
We've already delved into the cosmic side of the MCU, but the supernatural side is something we've definitely not touched on as of yet. The
Blade announcement could also shed some light on where things are going for the MCU moving into Phase 5, or might just be a small part of a bigger story.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 - Confirmed
James Gunn is currently busy working on
The Suicide Squad for Warner Bros. but when the filmmaker is finished in the DC Extended Universe, he'll return to the MCU for this long overdue threequel.
A few plot rumours have done the rounds over the past year or so, and Adam Warlock is expected to come into play. Gunn, meanwhile, has pointed to
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 being the final chapter for this iteration of the team, a sign, perhaps, that we'll be saying goodbye to Star-Lord and company (or at least some of them) as we move into a new era of cosmic stories.
Dark Avengers - Rumored
It's been said for a long time now that Marvel Studios is sitting on a
Dark Avengers script, but the end of their partnership with Sony Pictures seemingly closed the door on Norman Osborn's MCU arrival once and for all. Well, things have changed on that front, and it's once again possible that this movie could happen...depending on whether this new partnership will last!
An evil team of Avengers is a novel idea and one that could bring Spidey to the forefront of the MCU. There's no way Feige will want to commit to this without a long-term deal with Sony, though.
Nova - Rumored
Feige has promised fans that Nova is a name on Marvel Studios' radar and it's about time the Human Rocket gets his due. There are conflicting reports about the possibility that his live-action debut will take place either on the big or small screen, but he's definitely a hero who can hold his own in a solo setting rather than as part of the
Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
Right now, it's hard to say how high up the priority list
Nova currently sits, but Richard Rider showing up in Phase 5 seems like a strong possibility, especially after what happened to Xandar.
Doctor Doom - Rumored
Before the Disney/Fox merger,
Legion showrunner Noah Hawley was working on a solo movie for Doctor Doom and he's mentioned on multiple occasions that he's met with Feige. While it doesn't sound like he knows much more than us when it comes to the odd of it becoming a reality, there have been rumblings about this being rejigged into a Disney+ TV show.
It would certainly make sense to lay the groundwork for Victor Von Doom in a show like this, as it could both tie into the
Fantastic Four movie and set him up as an overarching MCU villain.
Deadpool 3 - Rumored
Ryan Reynolds recently met with Marvel Studio,s and the writers of the first two movies have said a few times now that they're hoping to continue the Merc with the Mouth's franchise in an R-Rated setting, while also having him appear elsewhere across the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This is a franchise that's way too successful to be left on the shelf for long, and while Feige no doubt wants to figure out how to softly reboot the character, Phase 5 seems like a safe bet at this point.
Ms. Marvel - Confirmed
The casting process has already begun to find an actress to play Ms. Marvel, and, as we mentioned, some online scoopers are already throwing around the possibility that Kevin Feige will reboot the Inhumans in this show after that disastrous limited series from Marvel Television.
A lot of fans are excited about this one, and the project is probably a priority for Marvel Studios and Disney+. With that in mind, it's bound to be a huge part of their Phase 5 plans.
She-Hulk - Confirmed
Speculation is running rampant online that Peter Parker will turn to lawyer Jennifer Walters for help clearing his name in the next
Spider-Man movie, but whether that proves to be the case or not, it's going to be a lot of fun seeing She-Hulk on the small screen. Chances are The Hulk will get involved here, and that his story will also be addressed in the series.
Recent rumours have claimed that both "Thunderbolt" Ross and his daughter Betty will appear, a sign that this could also serve as a sequel of sorts to 2008's
The Incredible Hulk.
Silver Surfer - Rumored
Adam McKay has expressed interest in helming a
Silver Surfer movie, and we know Feige is a fan of the character as he once offered Fox the chance to keep the rights to Daredevil in exchange for The Sentinel of the Space-Ways and Galactus. Now, all these years later, the
Fantastic Four characters are finally in his hands and it's easy to imagine him having big plans for them.
A solo outing for Silver Surfer also gives Marvel Studios the chance to explain who and what Galactus is before he crosses paths with Mister Fantastic and company.
Moon Knight - Confirmed
One of three Disney+ TV shows announced at D23, we don't know when this (or the shows listed below) are coming to the streaming service, but it sounds like Marvel Studios is already searching for their Moon Knight. It's said that they want a "Jewish Zac-Efron-type" to play Marc Spector, which points to Feige and company staying true to the character's roots.
There have been rumblings that Werewolf at Night could appear, and thatwould be another strong indication that the MCU is going to be heading down a supernatural route over the coming years.
Thunderbolts - Rumored
William Hurt's "Thunderbolt" Ross was recently spotted on the set of Black Widow, and while it's possible he was only there because the movie takes place after
Captain America: Civil War, speculation has gone into overdrive that this could be some sort of tease for a
Thunderbolts movie.
This is very much a rumour for the time being, and is probably more likely to be a Phase 6 release, but you have to believe it's an idea that's definitely been batted around by Marvel Studios.
Namor The Submariner - Rumored
Rumours have persisted about Namor for years now, and common sense says that he will indeed appear at some point. Now, there's nothing to say that will be in his own movie, but there are plenty of people out there who have claimed that he could somehow factor into the
Black Panther sequel.
Time will tell on that front, but Namor could definitely be a surprise addition to Marvel's Phase 5.
A-Force - Rumored
Over the past few weeks, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, and Brie Larson have all made it clear that they've approached Feige to push for an all-female Marvel Studios movie, and that's bound to be a project inspired by A-Force.
Whether he'll listen to their demands is another matter, of course, but fans definitely want this and it would be fun to see, especially after that memorable scene in
Avengers: Endgame.
Ant-Man 3 - Rumored
A third
Ant-Man movie is indeed supposed to be in the works, and while we don't know much more than that right now, a recent report stated that the character (along with The Wasp) isn't heading to Disney+ as some have claimed. There's clearly no room for Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne in Phase 4, but it would be a mistake to bench them for the fifth Phase as well.
You have to believe this movie would deal with Cassie Lang's transformation into Stature, too.