Nicolas Cage disagrees with his uncle Francis Ford Coppola when it comes to Marvel movies. Speaking to GQ magazine, Cage defended superhero movies against viral criticisms made by top filmmakers such as Coppola and Martin Scorsese. Coppola made headlines in 2019 after he was quoted calling Marvel movies “despicable” while supporting Scorsese’s critical beliefs about comic book films hurting the film industry. Coppola later clarified that he wasn’t talking about Marvel movies specifically, saying it’s “despicable” how the film industry now values commerce over art.
“Yeah, why do they do that?” Cage asked GQ about Scorsese and Coppola bashing Marvel and comic book films. “I don’t understand the conflict. I don’t agree with them on that perception or opinion.”
At the crux of Scorsese and Coppola’s criticism is that Marvel movies and comic book films have reshaped exhibition so that only one type of movie now gets produced and distributed at the theatrical level. As Coppola himself explained in an interview earlier this year, “There used to be studio films. Now there are Marvel pictures. And what is a Marvel picture? A Marvel picture is one prototype movie that is made over and over and over and over and over again to look different.”
“I think that the movies that I make, like ‘Pig’ or ‘Joe,’ are not in any kind of conflict with Marvel movies,” Cage said in opposition to his uncle’s beliefs. “I mean, I don’t think the Marvel movie had anything to do with the end of the tweener. By tweener, I mean the $30 to $50 million budget movie. I think movies are in good shape. If you look at ‘Power of the Dog,’ or if you look at ‘Spencer,’ or any of Megan Ellison’s movies. I think that there’s still Paul Thomas Anderson.”
Cage added, “Marvel has done a really excellent job of entertaining the whole family. They put a lot of thought into it. I mean, it’s definitely had a big progression from when I was doing the first two ‘Ghost Rider’ movies. Kevin Feige, or whoever is behind that machine, has found a masterful way of weaving the stories together and interconnecting all the characters.”
“What could be wrong with wholesome entertainment that is appealing to the parents and the children, and gives people something to look forward to?” Cage asked. “I just, I don’t see what the issue is.”
Rumors have circulated online that Cage might be reprising his “Ghost Ride” role in the upcoming “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” but the actor told GQ, “Oh, I don’t think so. I don’t think they’re casting me. I mean, I would do it. It would be fun. I’d love to work with Cumberbatch, but I don’t think that’s happening.”
Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts!
Source: Read Full Article