Quentin Tarantino Says Marvel Actors Are ‘Not Movie Stars’

Jennifer Aniston made headlines earlier this month in her Allure cover issue when she declared: “There are no more movie stars.” It’s a statement that director Quentin Tarantino agrees with, echoing the sentiment in a recent interview on Monday (November 21). Tarantino attributed the loss of movie stars to the “Marvel-ization of Hollywood.”

“Part of the Marvel-ization of Hollywood is… you have all these actors who have become famous playing these characters,” the Pulp Fiction director said. “But they’re not movie stars. Right? Captain America is the star. Or Thor is the star. I mean, I’m not the first person to say that. I think that’s been said a zillion times… but it’s like, you know, it’s these franchise characters that become a star. I’m not even putting them down frankly, to tell you the truth, but that is one of the — the legacy of the Marvel-ization of Hollywood movies.” Tarantino clarified in the interview that he doesn't “hate” Marvel movies but dislikes them for being the only product Hollywood seems interested in making these days.

“Look, I used to collect Marvel comics like crazy when I was a kid,” Tarantino, 59, said. “If these movies were coming out when I was in my twenties, I would totally be f---king happy and totally love them. I mean, they wouldn’t be the only movies being made. They would be those movies amongst other movies. But, you know, I’m almost 60, so, no, I’m not quite as excited about them.”

“My only axe to grind against them is they’re the only things that seem to be made,” he added. “And they’re the only things that seem to generate any kind of excitement amongst a fan base or even for the studio making them. That’s what they’re excited about. And so it’s just the fact that they are the entire representation of this era of movies right now. There’s not really much room for anything else. That’s my problem.” Earlier this month he told the Los Angeles Times that he will never direct a Marvel movie because “you have to be a hired hand to do those things. I’m not a hired hand. I’m not looking for a job.”

Anthony Mackie, who plays The Falcon AKA Captain America's replacement in the MCU said that he isn't a movie star. "The Falcon is a movie star. And that's what's weird. It used to be Tom Cruise and Will Smith and [Sylvester] Stallone and [Arnold] Schwarzenegger. When you went to the movies you would go to see the Stallone movie. You went to go see the Schwarzenegger movie. Now, you go see X-Men. So the evolution of the superhero has meant the death of the movie star, and that's the fear now. Because you're now making movies for 16-year-olds and China -- and that's it. You think some of your favorite movies growing up, they wouldn't get made today."

In 2019, director Martin Scorses told the New York Times that "the sameness of today’s franchise pictures is something else again. Many of the elements that define cinema as I know it are there in Marvel pictures. What’s not there is revelation, mystery or genuine emotional danger. Nothing is at risk. The pictures are made to satisfy a specific set of demands, and they are designed as variations on a finite number of themes. They are sequels in name but they are remakes in spirit, and everything in them is officially sanctioned because it can’t really be any other way. That’s the nature of modern film franchises: market-researched, audience-tested, vetted, modified, revetted and remodified until they’re ready for consumption."

The Goodfellas director added in the op-ed: "So, you might ask, what’s my problem? Why not just let superhero films and other franchise films be? The reason is simple. In many places around this country and around the world, franchise films are now your primary choice if you want to see something on the big screen. It’s a perilous time in film exhibition, and there are fewer independent theaters than ever. The equation has flipped and streaming has become the primary delivery system. Still, I don’t know a single filmmaker who doesn’t want to design films for the big screen, to be projected before audiences in theaters."

Feeling under the weather? There's nothing better than to be bundled up, stocking up on liquids while watching a beloved movie. According to Talker, results showed how respondents to a survey are optimizing their sick days with their favorite things. The average millennial parent to kids ages 4-12 watches five hours of TV or movies each sick day.  The most popular genre is rom-coms. Results revealed the 2,000 surveyed get sick about three times per year.

Respondents were more likely to prefer old favorites than to wrap their heads around a new show or movie. More than half (56%) of respondents have a go-to or favorite feel-good comfort movie. The average person said they can watch it four times in a row without getting sick of it. In fact, 45% of those admit they can watch it more than four times.

One in 10 of those (11%) say they can watch it “an infinite amount of times.” In total, respondents have watched their "feel-better" movie about 34 different times! Parents reported feeling relaxed (54%), happy (48%) and calm (40%) after watching their favorite movie. Almost two-thirds of parents agree that they’ve passed their love of their favorite movie along to their child.

“Nothing brings a family together quite like movie night, and nothing makes movie night better than a feel-good flick that fills you with warm, fuzzy feelings – especially when you’re sick. We understand that feeling better means more than just relieving your cough symptoms – it’s about cozying up on the couch as you and your family work to feel better together,” said Albert So, Marketing Director of Delsym.

“When a family member is under the weather, the entire household is caught in the storm and that daily routine can be thrown off course, bringing with it discomfort and chaos. Families not only need fast-acting relief, but they need comforting remedies to help them navigate that storm. Whether it’s mom’s chicken soup, your go-to feel-better movie or cozying up with your kids, whatever it is that makes you feel better can go a long way.

See below some of the study's findings:

The Harry Potter series and The Hunger Games trilogy ranked highest in the survey for the best action-adventure film (36%). We've definitely watched the Sorcerer's Stone over ten times since it came out in 2001.

When parents are sick with their children, the most popular movies to watch is, again, the Harry Potter series (32%). Harry Potter is tied with the Toy Story series. They also watch movies like Frozen (30%), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (28%) and Moana (25%).

Comfort movies like School of Rock, The Devil Wears Prada and any Pixar-animated movie (let's use Monsters Inc. as a great example the whole family can enjoy) are films that you've probably watched over and over and over again. And yet, they don't get old. Of those surveyed, comfort movies have been respondents' favorite movie for about six years because it reminds them of good times (61%) and makes them laugh (53%).

Millennial parents grew up watching movies like Home Alone, Anastasia, Space Jam, Homeward Bound and The Road to El Dorado. 63% of parents agree that they’ve passed their love of their favorite movie along to their child.

Growing up in the '90s with Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and basic cable gave millennial parents quite a LOT of television shows to choose from. Some of the best from the '90s to early 2000s include Sailor Moon, Pokemon, Rolie Polie Olie, The Wild Thornberries and that freaky Zoboomafoo show about a lemur.

Some of our favorite movies that we can watch over and over again include The Big Lebowski, Kiki's Delivery Service, the Rush Hour series (thanks Dad), True Grit and Mean Girls.

Some of our favorite shows that we can watch over and over again include Atlanta, Breaking Bad, True Detective and Curb Your Enthusiasm.