Superhero films are currently dominating Hollywood, and have been for a long time. Multiple movies centered around obscure comic-book characters are seeing the light of day every year, and overall, it seems like audiences can't get enough of them.
Film is subjective, however, and not everyone is a fan of the genre's many offerings (that group includes several Hollywood powerhouses). Throughout the past few years, quite a few individuals in the entertainment industry have expressed their dislike of comic-book movies. Now, a new filmmaker has joined the fray: Alien and Blade Runner director Ridley Scott.
Scott recently sat down for an in-depth interview with Deadline. At one point during the conversation, the Blade Runner director was asked about what he had learned from Stanley Kubrick's unproduced Napoleon biopic. After discussing his approach to adapting real-life stories, Scott stated that the best movies are often propelled by strong characters, and it's then that he opened up about his feelings regarding the superhero genre:
"Almost always, the best films are driven by the characters, and we'll come to superheroes after this if you want, because I'll crush it. I'll f—ing crush it. They're f—ing boring as sh—t."
Scott was then asked what his main issue with superhero films was, to which he replied that their scripts weren't good, comparing them to his own sci-fi and action endeavors:
"Their scripts are not any f—ing good. I think I've done three great scripted superhero movies. One would be Alien with Sigourney Weaver. One would be f—ing Gladiator, and one would be [Blade Runner]. They're superhero movies. So, why don't the superhero movies have better stories? Sorry. I got off the rail, but I mean, c'mon. They’re mostly saved by special effects, and that's becoming boring for everyone who works with special effects, if you've got the money."
Superhero movies not resonating with everyone is to be expected, so Scott is obvioulsy entitled to his take - though we'd be very curious to learn how many superhero movies he's actually seen to be able to form such a strong opinion!
Scott's next project, House of Gucci, will be released on November 24, 2021.