Simu Liu responds to Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese’s criticism of Marvel
Marvel star Simu Liu, known for playing Shang-Chi, has defended the Marvel Cinematic Universe in his response to Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino’s criticism.
The two directors, both acclaimed auteurs, have been direct in their distaste for the popular superhero franchise. Scorsese was the first of the two with his statement that the films “are not real cinema”, instead comparing them to “amusement park rides”. Tarantino recently followed, writing in his new book Cinema Speculation that the Marvel films are “made by hired hands”.
Tarantino also made a more covert criticism, claiming this “era of Hollywood” – comprised mainly of Marvel blockbusters – “is the worst”. However, his most recent statement claiming that Hollywood has had a ‘Marvel’ makeover was the final straw for one of its stars. “You have all these actors who have become famous playing these characters,” the Kill Bill director said. “But they’re not movie stars… Captain America is the star. Or Thor is the star.”
The Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings star took to Twitter to respond. The actor tweeted: “No movie studio is or ever will be perfect. But I’m proud to work with one that has made sustained efforts to improve diversity onscreen by creating heroes that empower and inspire people of all communities everywhere. I loved the “Golden Age” too.. but it was white as hell.”
This was followed by: “If the only gatekeepers to movie stardom came from Tarantino and Scorsese, I would never have had the opportunity to lead a $400 million plus movie.”
Liu’s argument that Hollywood is now more inclusive thanks to Marvel has sparked a debate on the platform. One response mentions how Scorsese’s company discovered and restored a 1970s Iranian film, claiming the Taxi Driver director has done more for the film industry than Marvel ever could.
Another user quote tweeted Liu’s tweet with a clip of Korean director Bong Joon-Ho’s 2020 Oscar speech, in which he won the award for best screenplay for Best Original Screenplay for Parasite. In his speech, the filmmaker references a Martin Scorsese quote he heard in film school that impacted his filmmaking: “The most personal is the most creative.” Joon-Ho then had the crowd give the director a standing ovation.
Tarantino has yet to respond to Liu’s tweets. The director has confirmed he will soon be retiring from the business.
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