“This is cinema”: Martin Scorsese Can’t Catch a Break, X-Men’ 97 Creator Fires Back at Him While Praising Zack Snyder’s Brilliance in Man of Steel
There are some filmmakers who are so great that their mere opinions make headlines. From Christopher Nolan to Martin Scorsese, some visionary filmmakers garner such a massive fanbase that everything they say becomes of utmost importance.
However, sometimes this fame can backfire as their opinions can be interpreted in many ways. An example is Scorsese claiming Marvel movies are not cinema. With just one statement, the ambitious director attacked an entire fandom that spread over many continents.
Beau DeMayo Praises Man of Steel while subtly dissing Martin Scorsese
X-Men ‘97 has found success in the most inexplicable ways. The animated show was supposed to ignite nostalgia and retell the marvelous story of the mighty X-Men. However, it did so much more than that by attracting newer fans to the superhero team and furthering the story in ways fans never imagined. The creator of the show, Beau DeMayo, is known for his vivid opinions and headstrong views that he often shares on his social media channels.
The most recent post by DeMayo outlines his appreciation for Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel movie. Starring Henry Cavill and Amy Adams in lead roles as Superman and Lois Lane, the movie was a genre-defining work in the superhero format of films.
However, along with writing his words of appreciation, DeMayo also subtly gave a nod to Martin Scorsese’s past remarks on how superhero movies (especially Marvel) are not considered great cinema.
This is Snyder and his writers perfectly dramatizing the heart of Superman’s journey in most media: “how do I make a difference?” Lois and Supe’s love story is teaching him that he doesn’t need to save everyone to save the world and make a difference.
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) May 29, 2024
DeMayo highlighted a particular scene in Man of Steel where the stark divide between Superman and Lois Lane’s world is clearly visible. The tension of the scene and their foreshadowed love story are brilliant, proving that superhero movies are a part of cinema when done well.
Martin Scorsese’s Opinion on Marvel Movies
Back in 2019, before the pandemic wreaked havoc and shut down entire systems in various fields, filmmaker Martin Scorsese claimed that Marvel movies don’t have the intricacies to make cinema truly special. In an interview with Empire Magazine, the Goodfellas director said,
I don’t see them. I tried, you know? But that’s not cinema. 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 isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.
These claims made headlines and caused a massive uproar among the die-hard fans of superhero movies. People were mad at the filmmaker for making such claims and hurting the sentiments of directors and the crew of superhero movies.
This led to Scorsese clarifying his stance in an opinion article via The New York Times. He goes on to explain his take on cinema and the aspects that make it great. The filmmaker further clarifies that his intention was never to ruffle any feathers or cause a backlash.
