Captain America actor Chris Evans reacted to Quentin Tarantino's controversial statements about Marvel Studios' MCU franchise and its effect on actors.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe, known for its live-action adaptations of characters and concepts from Marvel Comics, includes Captain America. With 32 cinematic releases and more than 10 in development, alongside various TV and streaming projects, the franchise has grown to be one of the world's biggest. Despite its massive success, Tarantino insisted Marvel actors were not real movie stars, criticizing the 'Marvel-ization' of the industry but clarifying that he meant no offense to the actors themselves.
While Tarantino's comments sparked controversy, one iconic Marvel actor seems to have come around to seeing things from his point of view. Evans, known for playing Captain America, shared his thoughts on the issue and agreed with Tarantino. In an interview with GQ, Evans expressed, "That was the beauty of working on Marvel films. You never really had to be front and center. Even in your own films sometimes. Quentin Tarantino said it recently, and I was like, you know, he's right. The character is the star. You're there, but you don't feel the burden of it."
Tarantino has been critical of more recent film media, claiming this is the worst era of Hollywood history, partly due to what he calls the Marvel-ization the industry has undergone, focusing on characters for franchise longevity and leaving creatives and performers in secondary roles. While Evans might agree, this does not represent the consensus at Marvel. MCU boss Kevin Feige disagreed with Evans, stating, "I think it's something [Chris] was telling himself, and I think it's something many of the Avengers, including Robert, would tell themselves, which actually was very helpful to the process. But in certain cases, including Chris', it's not entirely true."
Feige is not alone in his dissenting opinion, as Samuel Jackson also expressed disagreement with Tarantino's Marvel comments, citing the late Chadwick Boseman as an example and emphasizing that movie stardom has always been determined by the number of audiences attracted. Jackson has famously collaborated with Tarantino to great effect and might be better placed to address his criticism than most other performers in the MCU or any other major franchise within the scope of his ire.
Since Tarantino definitively stated he'd never join the MCU, there's not much hope of any change on that front, regardless of any improvements the franchise might make throughout its likely long shelf life, for better or worse. At the very least, the iconic filmmaker can say he made one convert from among the lot as he continues to pursue his creative vision, and Marvel Studios continues to produce its own.
Marvel Studios' Captain America films are available on Disney Plus.
Source: GQ