Credit: Marvel StudiosRussell Crowe, the Zeus of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and all-around cinematic icon, has a message for actors who don’t find performing in big-budget comic book movie adaptations: stop complaining about it and do the job.
Since the MCU kicked off with Iron Man (2008), there has been cultural debate about whether movies adapted from superhero comic books had the same kind of emotional potential and artistic value as, say, an adaptation of The Odyssey or Charles Dickens. The argument predated the MCU by decades, but the franchise’s overwhelming box-office dominance made it a centerpiece of cultural discussion rather than a niche interest.
Famed filmmaker Martin Scorsese caused a firestorm among Marvel fans when he revealed that he didn’t think of MCU movies as “cinema,” saying, “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.”
Scorsese would later write an op-ed for the New York Times, further explaining his position on the MCU. He said that he was “certainly not implying that movies should be a subsidized art form, or that they ever were.” But the conversation still continues, with Thor star Chris Hemsworth recently revealing that by Scorsese’s comments.
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Madame Web star Dakota Johnson ruffled many comic book movie fans’ feathers during the press rounds for her Sony Pictures Spider-Man-adjacent film, as she was perceived as dismissing the film out of hand and complaining that the movie was too “big budget.” In a Bustle feature, Johnson said:
“Art does not do well when it’s made by committee…It was a real learning experience, and of course, it’s not nice to be a part of something that’s ripped to shreds, but I can’t say that I don’t understand. I had never done anything like it before. I probably will never do anything like it again because I don’t make sense in that world. And I know that now.”
“That’s why I have my own company [TeaTime]. In a movie like that, I have no say about anything. I went directly from Madame Web to Daddio, and that was my salvation.”
Dakota Johnson was heavily criticized for openly dismissing a film she was reportedly paid some $5 million to act in and that she had every reason to know was a big-budget, tightly studio-controlled film before coming on board. That criticism seems to have trickled its way down to Academy Award-winning actor Russell Crowe, who, as is his tendency, did not mince his words.
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In a new GQ article, Russell Crowe was asked for his thoughts on Dakota Johnson’s “made by committee” comments. Given that Crowe has appeared in both the MCU (in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder), the DCEU (as the Jor-El of 2013’s Man of Steel), and Sony Pictures’ upcoming Kraven the Hunter, plus is also a critically acclaimed actor and action star, it seems fair to get his opinion.
Russell Crowe responded with:
“I don’t want to make any comments to what anybody else might have said or what their experience is, but… you’re bringing out the impish quality of my humour. [Laughs.] You’re telling me you signed up for a Marvel movie, and some fucking universe for cartoon characters… and you didn’t get enough pathos? Not quite sure how I can make this better for you. It’s a gigantic machine, and they make movies at a certain size.”
“And you know, I’ve experienced that on the DC side with Man of Steel, Zack Snyder, and I’ve experienced it on the Marvel side via Disney with Thor: Love and Thunder. And I’ve also experienced the [Sony-produced] Marvel dark universe with Kraven the Hunter. These are jobs. You know: here’s your role, play the role. If you’re expecting this to be some kind of life-changing event, I just think you’re here for the wrong reasons.”
It seems clear that Russell Crowe has a very pragmatic view of the big-budget movies that he signs on for and that he views some acting performances as a job like any other. Maybe more actors who are willing to take big paychecks but also crave artistic credibility should take a few tips from him.
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