Avengers: Endgame Writers Respond to Martin Scorsese’s Marvel Comments

Martin Scorsese is still the talk of the town some three weeks after he initially attempted a takedown of the superhero genre. Now, the writers behind the highest-grossing film to ever hit theaters have spoken out, each offering their opinion on the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s take. On the red carpet for the Academy’s Governors Awards, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely each caught up with Variety, where they both offered their defense for Marvel movies, part of the genre they’ve worked in for the better part of a decade.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion,” Markus began. “Clearly, this movie — Endgame — has reached a great number of people and has pleased a great number of people, I have to say, in a way a movie has not in a long time. If that’s not cinema, I’m not sure what is. That is a collective, emotional experience that happened worldwide.”

That’s when McFeely agreed, saying Hollywood includes all varieties for various people. “All sorts of movies for all sorts of people. This one seemed like it was for a lot of people,” the writer added.

When Avengers: Endgame finished its box office run, the Russo Brothers-directed filmed toppled James Cameron’s Avatar as the highest-grossing film of all time with a massive $2.79b worldwide box office haul, including a massive $858.37m domestically.

Scorsese’s comments initially surfaced in an interview with Empire Magazine, where the filmmaker claimed Marvel movies — likely a broad generalization for most action-packed blockbusters — weren’t actually a part of cinema. “I don’t see them. I tried, you know? But that’s not cinema,” he said. “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.”

Avengers: Endgame is now available wherever movies are sold.

Black Widow is set to premiere on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Fall of 2020, The Eternals on November 6, 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, Loki in Spring 2021, WandaVision in Spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, What If…? In Summer 2021, Hawkeye in Fall 2021, Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021, and Black Panther 2 on May 6, 2022. Disney+’s She-Hulk, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel don’t have release dates, nor does the cinematic reboot of Blade.

What MCU movie written by Markus and McFeely would you consider your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting me at @AdamBarnhardt to chat all things MCU!

Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney