Martin Scorsese isnt a Marvel fan (Picture: FADEL SENNA/AFP/Getty Images)

Martin Scorsese might not think so, but Marvel is most definitely what cinema is about these days.

At least for the past few years, the films have been keeping the glory of cinema alight and bums in seats with high-budget epics and entertaining sagas.

It doesnt matter what Marty Scorsese concedes is or isnt cinema, the fact that films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continue to reign supreme at the box office shows his archaic and snobbish views of art are out of touch.

How elitist is it to minimise what millions deem their favourite cinema as illegitimate?

Theres no denying the man is an absolute genius and has crafted films that will stand the test of time, such as Taxi Driver and Gangs Of New York. But that doesnt mean he can poo-poo popular films he doesnt deem worthy enough to share the limelight with his own wonders.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Art is subjective, right? Well this is me telling you many deem Marvel to definitely be cinema.

Over the weekend Scorsese admitted hed tried and failed to enjoy the Marvel movies, which include money-spinners like Infinity War, Endgame, Guardians Of The Galaxy and Captain America.

According to the director, the genre simply didnt chime with his own cinematic tastes. Which is fine, sure, but hes enraged a whole franchise of fans in the process…

He shared to Empire magazine: I dont see them. I tried, you know? But thats not cinema.

Marvel
These are creators of some of the best cinema, IMO (Picture: FilmMagic)

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.

It isnt the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.

Ouch?

The man is allowed to have his own opinion, but its a little rich also admitting he doesnt even watch the things hes passing harsh judgement on.

If Scorsese had managed to sit through Endgame (alright, it was three hours, that movie was tricky for all of us) hed have realised the whole thing was jam-packed full of human emotion.

You try not bawling your eyes out as Robert Downey Jrs Iron Man takes his final bow, I dare you, Marty.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

We might all be angry at something, always enraged, we are, but you cant deny Marvel is well and truly what cinema in the modern age is about.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The buzz about Endgame was ferocious (for the sake of the word count, Im going to focus on Endgame, rather than dragging in the other 22 released movies of the MCU) from the get go. Ever since Infinity War wrapped on that epic cliffhanger in 2018 we were enraptured with what would come next, with each theory that emerged piquing our interest further.

It comes as no great shock the vast amount of eyeballs in the cinema in April when Endgame debuted thrust the film to the top of the list, making it the highest grossing-film of all time.

Box office takings shouldnt decide what cinema is, but the fact Martins highest-grossing film, 2013s The Wolf Of Wall Street, made $392million (£317million) compared to Endgames $2.7billion (£2.2billion) should show you the punters just arent after the same thing these days.

Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow in Avengers: Endgame
You try not to feel intense human emotion (Picture: Marvel Studios)

More than that, but its being nominated for the very awards that everyone seems to hold up as the deciding voice on what cinema is. Earlier this year Black Panther became the first Marvel film to be nominated for best picture at the Oscars. It was also Marvels first film to win an Oscar with its awards for best original score, best costume design and best production design.

Kanye West might say Martin Scorsese made some of the best films OF ALL TIME but that doesnt mean theyre any more cinema than Endgame.

Advertisement

In the interest of trying to see all sides of the cinema amid my rage, you could argue the churning behemoth that is the MCU is eating up any chance for smaller films to make a dent in the box office; their chance to tell these human emotional and psychologicaRead More – Source