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To call director Steven Spielberg a legend is an understatement. The filmmaker has shaped childhoods for a generation and continues to do so with his impeccable balance of grandiose storytelling with a simple artistic touch. He invented the Summer blockbuster with his slasher horrorJawsand has created beloved IPs such asIndiana JonesandJurassic Park.
The pioneer of blockbusters had a few opinions on the current blockbuster trend of superhero movies being produced continuously. The MCU in particular has been drawing criticism due to its churning of multiple films and TV shows a year, with Martin Scorsese even calling it not cinema. While Spielberg did have similar opinions, he mentioned that he had a favorite in the genre.
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Steven Spielberg On Superhero Films
DirectorSteven Spielberghas been active in Hollywood for over five decades and has been an avid cinephile even before. His latest filmThe Fabelmanswas semi-autobiographical and as shown in the film, he too made films as a kid with his father’s camera and was a huge fan of John Ford. So, Spielberg knows a thing or two about movie trends.
Talking about the avalanche of superhero and franchise films in Hollywood, Steven Spielberg compared it to the trend of Westerns in Hollywood and their slow demise. In an interview with theAssociated Press (via Esquire), he said,
“We were around when the Western died and there will be a time when the superhero movie goes the way of the Western. It doesn’t mean there won’t be another occasion where the Western comes back and the superhero movie someday returns…I’m only saying that these cycles have a finite time in popular culture.”
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The director was right about the trend as the industry saw traditional Westerns dying out in favor of newer genres by the end of the 1960s. Westerns have been few since then, sometimes returning in the form of a revisionist Western and the neo-Western.
While Spielberg echoes his contemporaries on the fatigue of the genre, he did give a shoutout to some of his favorite superhero films, with his favorite being current DC Studio chief James Gunn’sGuardians of the Galaxy.
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Steven Spielberg’s Favorite Superhero Film
When one thinks of superhero films that have been novel and have redefined the genre, films such as Tim Burton’sBatman,Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knighttrilogy, or even the Genesis of the MCUIron Mancome to mind. However, director Steven Spielberg had James Gunn’sGuardians of the Galaxyat the top of his list. Talking to the French magazineOmelete (via Far Out Magazine), he said,
“When his projection was over, I left with the feeling of having seen something new in movies, without any cynicism or fear of being dark when needed.”
While the director did give a shoutout to Richard Donner’sSupermanstarring Christopher Reeves, Nolan’sThe Dark Knight,andIron Man, he still considered the superhero film that put James Gunn on the map to be his favorite in the genre. The film was released in 2014 and has since received two sequels, the latest of whichGuardians of the Galaxy: Vol.3was released earlier this year. The original was a surprise hit at the box office, earning rave reviews and earning $773 million against a $119 million budget.
Also read:“Robin knew what I was going through”: Robin Williams Did 15 Minutes of Stand-ups on Phone Every Night to Make Steven Spielberg Laugh During ‘Schindler’s List’
Source:Omelete (via Far Out Magazine)
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2419
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
