Chris Hemsworth Reacts to Scorsese and Coppola’s Marvel Criticism: “It Felt Harsh”

Lexy Perez
·3 min read
1
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Chris Hemsworth is sharing his thoughts on the criticism Marvel films have made, in particular from directors such as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese.

In an interview with The Times of London, the Furiosa actor was asked about the comments made by the longtime directors. Scorsese had faced backlash at the time for describing Marvel films as “not cinema.” Meanwhile, Coppola took it further by describing the films as “despicable.”

More from The Hollywood Reporter

“It felt harsh,” Hemsoworth said. “And it bothers me, especially from heroes. It was an eye-roll for me, people bashing the superhero space. Those guys had films that didn’t work too — we all have. When they talked about what was wrong with superheroes, I thought, cool, tell that to the billions who watch them. Were they all wrong?”

Hemsworth continued to argue that, “cinema-going did not change because of superheroes, but because of smartphones and social media.” And contrary to any beliefs, “superhero films actually kept people in the cinemas during that transition and now people are coming back. So they deserve a little more appreciation.”

Hemsworth also addressed actors who appeared in the MCU later criticizing the films. Though he did not name any names, actors who have spoken out about starring in their respective Marvel films include Christian Bale, who said in an interview with GQ that acting in front of a green screen for Thor: Love and Thunder was “monotony.” Meanwhile, Idris Elba once said it was “torture” filming a Marvel film.

“It’s, like, ‘They’re films that are successful — put me in one. Oh, mine didn’t work? I’ll bash them,'” Hemsworth said. “Look, I grew up on a soap opera. And it used to bother me when actors would later talk about the show with guilt or shame. Humility goes a long way.”

He added, “One of the older actors on Home and Away said, ‘We don’t get paid to make the good lines sound good, but to make the bad ones work.’ That stuck with me. But hey, it’s all a lesson. And if I ever went back to [Thor] I’d wonder how we could change it again. But there is a superhero curse in the sense you get pigeonholed, and I’ve felt a little hamstrung with what I could do, so desperately wanted something to scare the shit out of me. And Furiosa did.”

Hemsworth has candidly reflected on his time as the Avenger Thor throughout eight films. In a Vanity Fair profile, Hemsworth reflected on how he “got caught up in the improv and the wackiness” of Thor: Love and Thunder. “I became a parody of myself. I didn’t stick the landing,” he said. He also previously said that the film was “too silly.” “I think we just had too much fun … It’s always hard being in the center of it and having any real perspective … I love the process, it’s always a ride. But you just don’t know how people are going to respond,” he said.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter