Christopher Nolan Says the MCU Helped Save the Movie Industry After COVID
While the onset of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the reign of superhero films has been a point of contention in Hollywood, Christopher Nolan has nothing but praise for the Marvel films.
Unlike Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese, who have publicly lambasted Marvel for the effect that they have had on the movie industry, Nolan is thankful for the Marvel films.
Talking with The New York Times and Oppenheimer star Robert Downey Jr., Nolan reiterated his claim that Downey Jr’s casting as Iron Man was one of the most consequential in movie history.
“Let Jon Favreau [Iron Man director] take a huge risk, and there you go,” he said, referring to Downey Jr.’s role in the MCU as Iron Man. “No, the truth is, I think Jon Favreau casting Robert as Tony Stark is one of the most significant and consequential casting decisions in Hollywood history.”
Marvel Brought Fans Back to Theaters
Reflecting back on the effect that COVID had on movie theaters, Nolan believes that the Marvel films may have saved cinema.
“It wound up defining our industry. Coming out of COVID, you say, ‘Thank God for Marvel movies.’ And it’s one of those where, in retrospect, everybody thinks it was obvious. But he took an enormous risk casting you in that role,” he said.
While Top Gun: Maverick has long been credited with bringing movie-goers back to theaters, Marvel releases such as Black Widow, Eternals, and Shang-Chi kept fans coming to theaters.
Then, the massive success of Spider-Man: Far From Home and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever saw the return of the Marvel cinematic event.
While 2023 was undeniably a hard time for Marvel, the impact that the MCU had on the movie industry is undeniable.
As a Marvel fan, it is cool to see the franchise get praise from a critical darling like Christopher Nolan.