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Disney CEO terms Martin Scorsese, Francis Coppola's Marvel barbs as 'disrespectful'

WION Web Team
New DelhiUpdated: Oct 24, 2019, 08:09 PM IST
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Photograph:(Twitter)

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"Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese are two people I hold in the highest regard, but when Francis uses the words, `Those films are despicable`, I reserve the word `despicable` to someone who committed mass murder. These are movies," Dsiney Ceo Bob Iger said.

Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger is the recent celebrity to have defended the Marvel brand of cinema that has come under fire from a few of the world`s greatest filmmakers alive, such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Ken Loach. 

Iger said people critical of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are free to continue bitching as it is their right.

Earlier this month, Scorsese denounced the Marvel movies, saying that these were "not cinema". He likened them to "theme parks". Coppola described the films as "despicable".

At a Wall Street Journal event, Iger reportedly hit back at the accomplished filmmakers, calling them disrespectful. 

He said that if they "want to bitch about movies, that`s certainly their right" but they clearly "don`t see how the audience is reacting to them".

"Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese are two people I hold in the highest regard, but when Francis uses the words, `Those films are despicable`, I reserve the word `despicable` to someone who committed mass murder. These are movies," Iger said.

Iger also pointed out that people are watching Marvel films "by the millions".

"It seems so disrespectful to all the people that work on those films. Are you telling me Ryan Coogler making `Black Panther` is doing something that is somehow `less than` what Marty Scorsese or Francis Ford Coppola have ever done on any one of their movies? Like, come on. There. I said it," he added.

Director Ken Loach joined the debate and said the films have "nothing to do with the art of cinema".

Meanwhile, actor-filmmaker Jon Favreau who directed the first two ‘Iron Man’ movies and served as executive producer of all the ‘Avengers’ instalments had a very diplomatic reply to the criticism. "These two guys are my heroes, and they have earned the right to express their opinions. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing if they didn’t carve the way. They served as a source of inspiration, you can go all the way back to Swingers... They can express whatever opinion they like."

(With agency inputs)