The box office results were conclusive evidence that Avengers: Endgame was the most acclaimed movie of 2019. Robert Downey Jr.’s starrer movie set every possible box office record and became the first highest-earning movie that has not won an Oscar.
Moreover, one more thing that surprised fans was that Downey Jr. was not listed in the Best Actor category when Disney released the list of award categories for Avengers: Endgame’s Oscar nomination. Fans were expecting the actor’s name because he received the highest praise for The Avengers movie, despite Disney not actively promoting any actor for the award.
The 58-year-old actor, who played Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was questioned about this during an appearance on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show.
Martin Scorsese’s remarks about Marvel movies, in which he implied that they were more like theme park rides than art films, came up in the conversation at one point. And the Iron Man actor responded by sharing his distinct viewpoints on the same.
Robert Downey Jr. Appreciated Martin Scorsese’s ‘Views’ on Marvel Films
After Martin Scorsese said that Marvel movies are “not cinema,” Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr., expressed his opinion in 2019.
The 58-year-old acclaimed actor was questioned about not receiving an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man in the MCU during an interview on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show.
Stern addressed Downey Jr., who has played the recognizable superhero in ten Marvel films since 2008, including Avengers: Endgame in 2019.
“Because it’s a super hero movie? The performance is excellent, it is a totally believable character.”
Downey Jr. explained about the potential Oscar nomination.
“I’m so glad you brought this up, because there was some talk about it and I said ‘let’s not’.”
Martin Scorsese, an Oscar-winning director, stated during the interview that he does not consider the Marvel movies to be “cinema,” to which The Soloist actor responded on Stern’s show:
“I appreciate his opinion because I think, it’s like anything, we need all of the different perspectives so we can come to centre and move on.
Even so, the actor claimed that he was not offended by the comments, but added that Scorsese’s assertion “makes no sense.”
“I’ll tell you the truth, I didn’t expect [the Marvel Cinematic Universe] to become what it became and it is this very large, multi-headed Hydra at this point. I’ve always had other interests, and according to Scorsese, it’s not cinema so I have to take a look at that, you know?”
How Did The Controversy Start?
Martin Scorsese‘s conflicting evaluation of Marvel films in an Empire interview that The Guardian published served as the catalyst for the discussion. When asked if he had seen the Marvel films, one of the most renowned directors working today said:
“I tried, you know? But that’s not cinema.”
The Taxi Driver director continued:
“Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.”
In 2018, Marvel’s President, Kevin Feige, defended his films against criticism akin to that leveled by Scorsese. He said that the series’ lack of major awards did not indicate a lack of quality or ambition. To quote him:
“Maybe it’s easy to dismiss VFX or flying people or spaceships or billion dollar grosses. I think it is easy to say that you have already been awarded in a certain way. [Alfred] Hitchcock never won best director, so it’s very nice, but it doesn’t mean everything. I would much rather be in a room full of engaged fans.”
Probably not to be forgotten is the fact that Avengers: Endgame received a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 92nd Academy Awards. The movie was also nominated for an Annie Award, which it went on to win, a British Academy Film Award, and three Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, of which it took home two.
Also, Robert Downey Jr. received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Tropic Thunder.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, the fifth and sixth The Avengers movies, are slated for release in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Source- The Howard Stern Show; The Guardian
