Benedict Cumberbatch has weighed in on the criticism faced by Marvel movies from Martin Scorsese and Francise Ford Coppola.
The Doctor Strange star, 43, expressed his support for the negative comments as he said during an appearance on SiriusXM’s The Jenny McCarthy Show on Tuesday.
Admitting he rather there isn’t ‘one king to rule them all,’ Benedict explained: ‘I know there’s been a lot of debate recently with some very fine filmmakers coming to the fore saying these film franchises are taking over everything.
In agreement: Benedict Cumberbatch shared his support of Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola’s criticism of Marvel movies during an appearance on SiriusXM on Tuesday
‘But, lucky us actors who get to do both kinds of variety, at either polarity [in terms] of budgeting.
‘I agree, we don’t want one king to rule it all and have a monopoly and all that, and it’s hopefully not the case and we should really look into continuing to support auteur filmmakers at every level.’
Earlier this month, Scorsese and Coppola had bashed Marvel films, going so far as to call them ‘despicable’ and ‘not cinema’.
The Godfather filmmaker backed fellow director Scorsese’s controversial comments where he slammed the comic book genre as ‘not cinema’ for the lack of emotion being conveyed.
Harsh words: Earlier this month, Scorsese and Coppola had bashed Marvel films, going so far as to call them ‘despicable’ and ‘not cinema’
Giving his support to the two filmmakers, Benedict explained: ‘I agree, we don’t want one king to rule it all and have a monopoly and all that, and it’s hopefully not the case’
The iconic auteur, who helmed Goodfellas, Taxi Driver and his latest flick, The Irishman, described the Marvel universe films as more like theme parks than cinema, even if they were well made.
Coppola, who directed classics including The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now, said he agreed with Scorsese when it comes to the Marvel Studios franchise.
But he went even further than his colleague and described the superhero series as ‘despicable’ and like seeing ‘the same movie over and over again’.
The 80-year-old filmmaker was in Lyon, France, accepting the Prix Lumiere for his contributions to cinema, when he was asked about Scorsese’s controversial comments.
Candid: Admitting that actors are ‘lucky’ because they can work on films of all kinds, he added: ‘We should really look into continuing to support auteur filmmakers at every level’
He said: ‘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.
‘I don’t know that anyone gets anything out of seeing the same movie over and over again,’ Coppola added.
Coppola even added an extra jab, going as far to call Marvel movies ‘despicable’ and stating that Scorsese’s statement was kind.
‘Martin was kind when he said it’s not cinema. He didn’t say it’s despicable, which I just say it is,’ Coppola added.
Marvel star: Benedict has appeared in Marvel’s Doctor Strange, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and is set to star in 2021’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Scorsese kicked off the riff during an interview with Empire Magazine last month and was asked about Marvel Studios superhero movies, where he revealed he has ‘tried’ to watch them but never has.
‘I don’t see them. I tried, you know? But that’s not cinema,’ Scorsese said.
‘Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks,’ he continued.
‘It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being,’ he added.
Honest: Scorsese began the debate when he revealed in an interview with Empire Magazine last month that he felt Marvel films are ‘not cinema’