Francis Ford Coppola, most famous for The Godfather, backs Martin Scorsese's critique of the Marvel Universe.
Coppola was receiving the Prix Lumiere in Lyon, France for his cinematic contributions when he spoke to journalists about the current state of American films. The 80-year-old claimed that Marvel's superhero movies don't adhere to the true purpose of filmmaking.
"When Martin Scorsese says that the Marvel pictures are not cinema, he's right because we expect to learn something from cinema, we expect to gain something, some enlightenment, some knowledge, some inspiration," Coppola said, according to Agence France-Presse. "I don't know that anyone gets anything out of seeing the same movie over and over again.... Martin was kind when he said it's not cinema. He didn't say it's despicable, which I just say it is."
Scorsese's comments came in an interview with Empire. He admitted that the movies are well made, but he feels like they are more akin to "theme parks" than actual film projects.
"It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being," Scorsese said.
Marvel fans and collaborators didn't take to kindly to the criticism.
Much like he did with Scorsese's initial remarks, Gunn has once again gone on the defensive for Marvel in regards to Coppola's "despicable" classification of the MCU films by pointing out the less than favorable reception that western and gangster movies upon their initial arrival. Gunn understands that superhero films will not be everyone's cup of tea, "and that’s okay."
"Like westerns and gangster movies (and before that, just MOVIES), not everyone will be able to appreciate them, even some geniuses," he wrote on Instagram. "And that’s okay."
