Kevin Smith is getting bit after wading into the Scorsese/Marvel debate

Kevin Smith has a new take on the seemingly unending Marvel/Martin Scorsese conflict.

In 2019, Scorsese launched one of the biggest contemporary cinematic debates by admitting that he doesn’t watch MCU movies because they’re “not cinema” and are more akin to “theme parks.”

After more blowback than even the 60-year filmmaking vet probably could have anticipated, Scorsese clarified his position in a New York Times op-ed, reframing his dislike for the MCU around his frustration for formulaic franchise movies pushing out indie pictures from visionary artists.

Earlier this week, Smith, who occupies a pertinent position as an old-school filmmaker with grade-school interests, spoke to Forbes entertainment writer Scott King about the uselessness of asking a 79-year-old auteur like Scorsese about comic book movies.

“In our very tribal culture, somebody like Martin Scorsese referring to comic book movies as amusement parks and theme park rides gets a bunch of people who have made comic book movies their lives for the last 10 years very unhappy . . . You’re asking a guy who made Goodfellas what he thinks about Spider-Man, what do you think you’re going to get? He’s a very serious filmmaker, and he’s a man who’s of a certain age and stuck in his ways. You should not be surprised that’s his response.”

He also lamented the difficulty of MCU fans and non-fans co-existing in the same cinematic space:

“It doesn’t take away from your enjoyment of the thing. Guess what? For every old filmmaker who’s like, ‘I don’t get it,’ there’s a bunch of young filmmakers who are like, ‘I get it and I want to do it.’ We don’t have to ostracize the people that maybe don’t get or aren’t into the same movies we are.”

Of course, not learning anything from Smith’s conciliatory words, both sides came out swinging.

Depressing headline of the day: Kevin Smith Defends Marvel Against Scorsese Criticisms: He’s ‘A Man of a Certain Age and Stuck in His Ways’

— Terry McCarty (@TVMCCA) July 9, 2022

Asking Kevin Smith for an opinion on Martin Scorsese is like asking a man who farts into a tuba to comment on Mozart.

— Jordan Hoffman (@jhoffman) July 9, 2022

this is funny cause it shows how little Kevin Smith watches cinema that isn't capeshit. Scorcese is 79 and is still making whatever the fuck he wants https://t.co/XG40XCjDa3

— northern ghoul (@jacketh23) July 10, 2022

Thankfully, a few people got the message.

This is hilarious because Kevin Smith is basically like "Why are you upset at Scorsese? You like the movies, and that's what matters; why care if Scorsese may not like them?" and people are going nuts like he just took a shit in Scorsese's mouth. https://t.co/MnRsE1d5oJ

— John Elrod II (@LOTNorm) July 9, 2022

I thought Kevin Smith gave a pretty level-headed answer, and if anything, his statement softly implies that comic book movies are blatantly lesser. Perhaps I’m projecting. I like the dude and tend to cut him a lot of slack.

— Ali Arikan (@aliarikan) July 10, 2022

Pretty funny that Kevin Smith gives an actually thoughtful response to these “loaded” Marvel vs. auteur questions turned into hateclick bait, only for his answer to be turned into the same hateclick bait. Smith innocent here, they did him dirty with this one. https://t.co/cW9sKzP3tM pic.twitter.com/u6tgtpoxUX

— Jeff Zhang 张佶润 (@strangeharbors) July 10, 2022

Can both sides live in harmony like Smith wants, or will the MCU bring an end to the visionary side of movie making like Scorsese believes? Or is this a necessary dialectic that will continue in perpetuity? Whatever the answer, the debate is far from over.

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