Director Christopher Nolan has never been one to hold back on his opinions regarding the film industry, whether its the use of 35mm film over digital or preserving the theatrical experience despite the growth of streaming. He did just the same for Marvel Studios films, though in a more positive light for the role they had in helping preserve the film industry through one of its toughest periods ever brought on by COVID-19.
Christopher Nolan, alongside Robert Downey Jr., were speaking with the New York Times about their work on Oppenheimer ahead of the 2024 Academy Awards when they got onto Downey's casting for the film. It was here that the director, during a slight tangent, praised the MCU for both giving Downey Jr. the platform to reestablish himself and how the cinematic universe kept things going during the COVID pandemic.”
“It wound up defining our industry,” Nolan told the New York Times. “Coming out of Covid, you say, “Thank God for Marvel movies.” And it’s one of those where, in retrospect, everybody thinks it was obvioese has shared his thoughts on the cinematic universe on multiple occasions. One of his recent criticisms was that the MCU was more akin to theme pus. But he took an enormous risk casting you in that role.”
The praise is a change of pace for Nolan, who has previously compared the MCU to a “machine” meant to churn out box office earners for the studio to benefit from.
In this case though, it was the “machine,” as Nolan put it, that played a part in keeping theaters alive at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when most theaters were shut down or running in a much more limited capacity compared to before.
Nolan is hardly the first director to have some critiques of the MCU, either, chief among them being Martin Scorsese.
Much like Nolan, Scorsese has generally spoken about his own issues with the MCU in the past, with one critique from the director comparing the MCU to thrill rides at an amusement park. Scorsese has faced a fair amount of backlash for these, as well.
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