Kingsman franchise director Matthew Vaughn is the latest filmmaker to weigh in on the Marvel Cinematic Universe as he believes less is more when it comes to its superhero movie output.
Speaking with Screen Rant, Vaughn delved into his thoughts about Marvel movies and the visual effects used in superhero films across the board. Buying into the idea of superhero fatigue setting in for audiences, the revered comic book writer thinks Marvel needs to ponder reducing how many movies its produces to better create an aura among MCU offerings. “I genuinely don’t know what’s happening with the superhero [genre] in the sense that, I do think, maybe we all need a little bit of time off from it,” he said. “Maybe someone will make something so great that we will get excited again…Superhero films are films. It’s a film that has superheroes in it. I think what happened was that they became superheroes, and the film part wasn’t that important.”
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Having previously helmed or produced multiple X-Men films including First Class and Days of Future Past, as well as 2015’s Fantastic Four, Vaughn has experienced the peaks and troughs of superhero movies. The acclaimed filmmaker recalled his experience directing First Class, claiming the movie resonated well with audiences due to its relatability and didn’t rely on CGI like so many superhero flicks do. “When you’re making a superhero movie, you sort of have to work harder because you’ve got to make people believe it. That’s why X-Men: First Class was pretty grounded. We set it in the Cuban Missile Crisis; they had relatable human problems. And it wasn’t relying on the CG,” he said. “I think CG’s f***ed up everything as well, because you feel like you’re watching a video game. You’re not with the characters. Apart from ‘Guardians’…I still think Groot and the raccoon are fucking pieces of genius that I feel so much for them.”
Vaughn is the latest Hollywood player to call out Marvel about its output after Killers of the Flower Moon helmer Martin Scorsese hit out against comic book films, questioning the legitimacy and cinematic value they offer. Additionally, Scorsese urged support for fellow directors like Oppenheimer’s Christopher Nolan to “save” cinema and bring back authenticity to the profession. Scorsese has long been a staunch critic of Marvel and the MCU, questioning their purpose several times.
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Though Disney CEO Bob Iger has championed the idea of reducing MCU content going forward, the MCU shows few signs of slowing down with The Marvels set to be its next release on Nov. 10 while films like Kraven the Hunter, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts and the next two Avengers movies confirmed despite delays due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Marvel president Kevin Feige also plans to reboot the MCU via latter of the upcoming Avengers films, Secret Wars.
Meanwhile, Vaughn is reportedly attached to James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new-look DC Universe in an unknown capacity and recently touted Kingsman franchise star Taron Egerton to play Lex Luthor in the DCU. He is currently promoting his upcoming spy thriller, Argylle, which features former DCEU star Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard and Bryan Cranston.
Argylle opens in theaters on Feb. 2, 2024.
Source: Screen Rant
Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn thinks the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to reduce its film output to make its movies feel special. Read More