Several major directors have taken shots at superhero/Marvel movies over the years, but recent comments made by Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino generated a lot of headlines, and one particular MCU actor was left feeling pretty disheartened by what he heard.
During an interview with GQ, Thor: Love and Thunder star Chris Hemsworth was asked about Scorsese and Tarantino's takes on the genre, and had the following response.
“That’s super depressing when I hear that,” said the Aussie actor. “There goes two of my heroes I won’t work with. I guess they’re not a fan of me.”
Scorsese compared Marvel films to theme part rides ("it isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being"), while Tarantino said that, as far as he's concerned, superhero actors aren't movie stars ("Captain America is the star. Or Thor is the star. I mean, I’m not the first person to say that. I think that’s been said a zillion times…but it’s like, you know, it’s these franchise characters that become a star").
Despite Hemsworth's feeling on the matter, he did add that the filmmakers are "still my heroes," and “in a heartbeat I would leap to work with any of them. But I say it more to the broader opinion around that topic. I don’t think any of us have the answer, but we’re trying.”
“I’m thankful that I have been a part of something that kept people in cinemas. Now, whether or not those films were to the detriment of other films, I don’t know. I don’t love when we start scrutinizing each other when there’s so much fragility in the business and in this space of the arts as it is.”
Hemsworth is certainly not above criticising the MCU, however. When asked about the recent mixed-negative reception to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the actor admitted that he hasn't seen it yet, but based on the trailers alone, he had some ideas about why audiences may not have taken to the threequel.
"That’s the trick: you have to separate all those stories. The moment it’s like [in trailer voice] ‘Your world is in danger, the entire universe!’ It’s like, ‘Yeah, so [it] was the last 24 films.’ It has to become a bit more personal and grounded.”
Hemsworth also weighed-in on Love and Thunder's mixed reception earlier on, and you can find out what he had to say here.