Summary
AnMCUactor defended Marvel movies from critics who say they are ‘ruining cinema.’ The actor also seemingly threw shade at streaming services.
Scarlet Witchactress Elizabeth Olsen has been one of the most popularMCUperformers since she debuted inAvengers: Age of Ultron. Her popularity only rose with the widely successful Disney Plus seriesWandaVision. Of course,not everyone loves these Marvel movies. Some people believe Marvel movies and other blockbusters are ruining cinema, largely because they are the only type of projects that Hollywood greenlights, leaving smaller films fighting for support and, in some cases, relegated exclusively to streaming services.
During an interview withVulture, Olsen defended Marvel movies, arguing the industry needs both big blockbuster flicks and independent films. Olsen said she’s grateful for “big movies” and does not blame them for “how we watch things,” seemingly referring to how smaller films get pushed to streaming so movie theaters can save screens for Hollywood blockbusters. The Scarlet Witch actress citedPaul Thomas Anderson’s defense of Marvel movies, agreeing with his assessment that the success of blockbusters likeSpider-Manhelps theaters “pay the rent,” which allows a filmmaker like him to release a smaller character-driven film likeLicorice Pizza.
Olsen acknowledged that streaming is sometimes the only option for smaller films to be seen by audiences. However, she has no interest in making a film if it’s intended to go directly to streaming. Olsen’s comments on direct-to-streaming movies didn’t seem to be a dig at their quality. Rather, she was seemingly arguing that streaming movies, not Marvel movies, are the real “disrupter” in the industry. Olsen said that, if possible, movies should be released in theaters because they are “important places for community, […] real human interaction, and can feel like a special event.”
This isn’t the first time Olsen has defended Marvel movies. After acclaimed directors like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola criticized Marvel movies by saying they weren’t cinema, Olsen admitted she’s frustrated when people try to paint the MCU films as “a lesser type of art.“Olsen defended the crew of Marvel movies, arguing that comments like those from Scorsese “take away” from work done by the MCU’s set designers, costume designers, camera operators, and others.
Of course, the value of Marvel’s box office success and the crew’s hard work on MCU projects doesn’t necessarily speak to the writing. Marvel Studios has been in a rut lately, with some hardcore fans believing the MCU is at a low point. Some fans thinkMarvel Studios' mistake has been releasing too many MCU projectsover a short period, sacrificing quality for quantity. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has indicated that they plan to pull back on how many projects they release in one year, so perhaps theMCUcan return to its glory days. Regardless, Olsen and many others seemingly agree that claiming Marvel movies are the death of cinema is an exaggeration.
MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a sprawling movie and television franchise that weaves together individual stories of superheroes including Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and many more. The first film in the franchise, Iron Man, was released in 2008. The MCU has garnered critical praise and financial success, earning billions at the box office and becoming a cultural phenomenon.
