There’s no doubt that the Marvel Cinematic Universe started reshaping the movie industry from the moment its configuration started. While many people in its audience and Hollywood alike have embraced the MCU, many other celebrities have actively spoken against it.
While some of them have criticized the quality of the MCU's acting and story-making, others have only complained about the consequences joining the franchise can have on actors' careers, such as longtime commitments and typecasting. In any case, many celebrities are not happy with the success of the Marvel franchise, and even though many fans might hope to see these folks involved with the MCU, it seems unlikely.
10 Jon Hamm Thinks A Superhero Movies Require Too Big Of A Commitment
Jon Hamm has never directly criticized the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he has spoken against superhero movies publicly. Many years ago, after he was rumored that Marvel was interested in him for Doctor Strange, the Mad Men actor commented on the “draconian deals” that come with this kind of movie and stated that he hated the idea of spending the next decade doing the same thing over and over.
While Hamm is right about the commitment many superhero movies require, there is no reason to believe he would not be able to do anything else while starring in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After all, other actors are doing different movies at the same time, such as Chris Hemsworth, who has been in around a dozen movies in between his work as Thor. Still, it is a shame Jon Hamm does not want to belong to the MCU, because he would make a great Cable.
9 Rose McGowan Feels The MCU Lacks Complexity
The Charmed actress shared on her Instagram that she believes superhero movies “lack complexity, story development, character development and freedom of thought.” In addition to this, she also said she considered them “lazy and average filmmaking.”
This is partly a valid critique since some of the MCU movies largely lack a female perspective. Regardless, as we approach the end of the decade, it is undeniable that Marvel has slowly and steadily gotten better in many of these aspects. Fans can only hope to see the MCU reach its full potential in the following years.
8 Tim Burton Feels It Is Time For A Happy Superhero
It is quite ironic, but Tim Burton finds Marvel movies boring because they have exhausted the grim and tormented hero-formula. He does not have a personal vendetta against the MCU, but he thinks the genre needs to reinvent itself.
This is not necessarily bad advice, but considering what the MCU has been doing for the last decade, it seems kind of obvious that Burton only watched a couple of movies before talking. He may be disenchanted with the experience after having directed Batman and Batman Returns, which is a shame because they both remain fan favorites after almost 30 years.
7 Roland Emmerich Considers The Suits And Capes Silly
The Independence Day director does not have a problem with the acting or plots of the Marvel movies, but he doesn't like the traditional superheroic costumes. During an interview with The Guardian, he called them “silly.”
Although Emmerich attributed his feelings to his German heritage, one cannot help to wonder if this director needs to stop taking himself so seriously. Super-suits are a part of the fun of Marvel movies, and occasionally even lead to interesting discussions on the fictional technology in Marvel stories. And while the costumes are obviously an important part of the look of the MCU, with shows like Wandavision and Hawkeye, they're playing a more nuanced and self-aware role in the MCU.
6 Luc Besson Doesn’t Want People To Fall For Marvel’s American Propaganda
Not only does Luc Besson considers the Marvel movies to be exhausting and more confusing every year, but he also believes them to be propaganda for the American government, especially Captain America, for obvious reasons.
While it is true this superhero started as a patriotic role model for kids during World War II, the character has changed a lot over the last 80 years, and at this point, he is only an assumed nationalist symbol due to his name and the colors of his suit.
5 Emily Blunt Has No Desire To Be A Superhero
While Emily Blunt and her husband, John Krasinski are the number one fan cast for Sue Storm and Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four movie, the actress says she does not like the idea of playing a superhero. In fact, she considers the genre to have been exhausted.
Granted, it has been the decade of superheroes in the media, but comments like these seem to fail to consider other kinds of films are being done too and there are many amazing stories out there. It is just a matter of looking to other places.
4 Tom Cruise Allegedly Found The Iron Man Script To Be Weak
One of the biggest rumors at the beginning of the MCU was that Tom Cruise would play Iron Man instead of Robert Downey Jr. However, this was soon deflected when it made the news that Tom Cruise considered the script for the movie to be weak.
As the first movie of a whole cinematic universe, it is true Iron Man lacks a certain depth, but it also cements the beginning of an era and there are many opportunity areas in its story, so it is far from weak. In Tom Cruise’s defense, in 2008, there was no way of knowing how big the MCU would become.
3 John McTiernan Slammed Captain America
In an interview with the French magazine Premiere, John McTiernan said that characters like Captain America perpetuate American hyper-masculinity and allow people to normalize nationalism. The Die Hard director even goes as far as to call Captain America a fascist.
This is a poor analysis of the current Captain America, whose character goes beyond rancid nationalism. Any person that has watched the movies knows that Steve Rogers' two main arcs in the MCU involve him battling nazis in Captain America: The First Avenger and then standing up against the US government in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War.
2 Jason Statham Thinks Even His Grandmother Could Star In A Marvel Movie
Although Jason Statham has a place in most fans' dream cast, he has publicly stated that he would never play a superhero on the big screen. The reason: he does not agree with actors playing it safe and not performing their own stunts.
Contrary to other criticisms faced by the MCU, Statham’s is not even a valid one. What is really the point of an actor performing their own stunts when there are trained stunt performers that can do it? In this age, and considering actual technology, there is absolutely no reason to believe an actor is less than another for not putting themselves at risk on the job. Paul Bettany, known for playing Vision, made sure to sarcastically reply to Statham by reminding him of this.
1 Martin Scorsese Thinks Marvel Movies Are Not Cinema
One of the harshest criticisms the MCU has faced came directly from the Goodfellas director, who told Empire magazine that Marvel movies are not cinema because they do not try to convey human nature. This comment caused quite a ruckus at the moment, and even many Marvel producers felt compelled to answer back.
The problem behind Scorsese’s critique of the MCU is that it happens to be very subjective, even though the director tried to pass it as a fact, using a hegemonic and snobbish discourse that is nothing but that, a discourse. In the end, there is not a unique definition of cinema is. Not even coming from the mouth of an acclaimed director.