Parasite Director Bong Joon-Ho Explains Why He Won’t Direct Marvel Movies

Every great director in the world is going to get asked about the Marvel Cinematic Universe at one point or another; it’s inescapable at this point. This is doubly true if said great director makes a hit movie and their name starts to become recognized in households around the world. Kevin Feige and the folks at Marvel Studios have hired some fantastic filmmakers over the years, and people are always itching to know who will be the next to join the franchise. Bong Joon-ho, the acclaimed Koren director who was recently nominated for multiple Academy Awards for his hit film Parasite, doesn’t plan to be one of the names in the Marvel ranks.

Bong appeared on a recent episode Variety’s The Big Ticket podcast and the topic of directing a Marvel feature came up. The director made it clear that he doesn’t believe he’s a good fit for the kind of movies Marvel makes and will likely keep doing his own thing.

“I don’t think Marvel would ever want a director like me,” Bong said. “I don’t expect any offers from them anytime soon. Of their movies, I did enjoy the films by James Gunn and James Mangold’s Logan, and I think there are great directors who can handle great projects like that. The film industry seems complicated, but I think it’s quite simple for directors. It’s just best to do what you’re good at. And so I don’t really think Marvel and I are suitable for each other. That’s something I just intuitively feel.”

Bong went on to explain that smaller, more intimate films, like Parasite, are more his speed, as they allow him the opportunity to focus on each and every detail.

“I felt much more comfortable with the size of Parasite, where it’s like you’re making films under a microscope, you can take a very meticulous and focused approach,” he added. “And I really felt that that’s what suits me the best. That’s the path that I want to dig deeper into. I don’t think it’s about modesty or even fear. I think it’s about doing what suits me the best.”

There are fans out there who may want to see Bong take on a Marvel property, but he proves with a response like this that he’s very confident in what he does, and has no plans to change that. Not every filmmaker out there needs to make a Marvel movie, but that doesn’t demean the value or meaning of those movies at all. Bong Joon-ho will keep making his original films, Marvel will keep making Marvel films, and we can all keep enjoying both.