There's no doubt that comic book and superhero films are here to stay. They are a billion-dollar business, after all, making them the entertainment industry's life blood by some metrics.
Nevertheless, many of the industry's heavyweights have derided the many Marvel franchises as lacking artistic merit—or even injurious to the film industry as a whole.
But Elizabeth Olsen—starring again as the Scarlet Witch in Marvel's newest film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness—isn't having it.
In a new interview with The Independent, Olsen said she finds a lot of the criticism of Marvel's output unfair, and she gets "a little feisty about" the perception comic book and superhero movies are somehow a "lesser type of art."
Elizabeth Olsen on Marvel movie criticism: 'I get a little feisty about that'https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/elizabeth-olsen-interview-doctor-strange-2-b2072025.html\u00a0\u2026— The Independent (@The Independent) 1652085230
A handful of iconic Hollywood directors have been outspokenly against films like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, especially because of the way they have changed the industry--smaller, auteur-led films are now harder than ever to get financed.
Martin Scorsese has derided them as "more like theme parks," and winner of this year's Best Director Oscar winner Jane Campion recently told Variety simply, "I hate them."
But perhaps nobody has been as direct as three-time Best Director nominee Ridley Scott, who has called the films "fu*king boring as sh*t."
Olsen, a Marvel mainstay who cut her teeth in small-budget, highbrow independent films, has had it with these criticisms--especially given how much work goes into them. She told The Independent.
"I’m not saying we’re making indie art films, but I just think it takes away from our crew, which bugs me."
She went on to point out that crews who work on Marvel movies are often the same artists and technicians who also work on Oscar-winning art films helmed by the auteurs who seem to hate them so much--and that irks her.
"I feel diminishing them with that kind of criticism takes away from all the people who do award-winning films, that also work on these projects..."
"I do think throwing Marvel under the bus takes away from the hundreds of very talented crew people. That’s where I get a little feisty about that."
On Twitter, many applauded Olsen for taking a hard stance toward what many feel is artistic snobbery in the industry.
I agree, she\u2019s right. These films have struck a cord with people for a reason. Some are just fun but some can also be very thematic and thought provoking. That\u2019s the beauty of comics it can be multitude of genres with these larger than life characters.— j (@j) 1652101461
I appreciate Elizabeth Olsen more and more. And re: the Scorsese quip about MCU movies being \u201ccloser to theme parks\u201d? Nothing wrong with that, in my opinion! You can still find meaning in those stories, or you can just enjoy the ride. Not every movie has to be precious about it.https://twitter.com/independent/status/1523582001437376514\u00a0\u2026— Lisa Cerezo (@Lisa Cerezo) 1652101442
"These are some of the most amazing set designers, costume designers, camera operators \u2013 I feel diminishing them with that kind of criticism takes away from all the people who do award-winning films, that also work on these projects."\n\nWhen I say I love her, this is why https://twitter.com/Independent/status/1523582001437376514\u00a0\u2026— Helen M-J (@Helen M-J) 1652094611
what's always weird about this stuff is that people always get annoyed when you _do_ treat Marvel movies like regular kinds of art. please decide if i'm supposed to turn off my brain or not, it's making driving difficult.https://twitter.com/IndieWire/status/1523656535334801408\u00a0\u2026— Zack Handlen (@Zack Handlen) 1652106276
But there was no shortage of those who agree with the likes of Scorsese and Campion.
Marvel movies are Call of Duty of the movie world. They come out constantly, they entertain a lot of people, they make lots of money, they aren't art.\nWhat Marvel did with movies is amazing, but these are hardly films that are made with art in mind (even the best ones).— Nikita Kress (@Nikita Kress) 1652098089
The problem isn't that they're "lesser art", that's a snobby concept anyway. The problem is the immeasurable damage they've done to the film industry as an industryhttps://twitter.com/Independent/status/1523582013042663424\u00a0\u2026— David J Bradley: Enby Emcee (@David J Bradley: Enby Emcee) 1652103670
Look I\u2019m not gonna criticize if you like Marvel movies or w/e but lets not pretend it\u2019s anything other than junk food entertainmenthttps://twitter.com/independent/status/1523582013042663424\u00a0\u2026— Tarnished Arman (@Tarnished Arman) 1652108089
Look I love me a McDonald\u2019s cheeseburger but I\u2019m not about to start throwing Michelin stars at themhttps://twitter.com/independent/status/1523582013042663424\u00a0\u2026— Laurie Charles (@Laurie Charles) 1652103488
https://twitter.com/IndieWire/status/1523656535334801408\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/8IszCf6SI2— Jesse Hawken (@Jesse Hawken) 1652105935
Art or not, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness had a $185 million opening weekend despite mixed reviews from both critics and fans, so these films are not likely to go anywhere any time soon.
