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Samuel L. Jackson Claps Back at Quentin Tarantino’s Marvel Diss: MCU Actors ‘Are Movie Stars’

Samantha Bergeson
·2 min read

Samuel L. Jackson is shutting down the notion of the last movie stars sans the MCU.

After longtime collaborator Quentin Tarantino spoke out on the “Marvel-ization” of Hollywood driven by IP over star power, Jackson said that audiences “can’t refute” the superstardom of Marvel actors, much like the late Chadwick Boseman.

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“It takes an actor to be those particular characters, and the sign of movie stardom has always been, what, asses in seats? What are we talking about?” Jackson, who plays Nick Fury in the MCU, said on “The View” (via Entertainment Weekly). “That’s not a big controversy for me to know that apparently these actors are movie stars. Chadwick Boseman is Black Panther. You can’t refute that, and he’s a movie star.”

Jackson formerly said he’d “rather be Nick Fury” than be “doing statue-chasing movies” in hopes of an Oscar.

Tarantino recently explained on the “2 Bears, 1 Cave” podcast that the actors “who have become famous playing these characters [are] not movie stars.”

“Captain America is the star. Or Thor is the star,” the Oscar winner said. “I mean, I’m not the first person to say that. I think that’s been said a zillion times…but it’s like, you know, it’s these franchise characters that become a star.”

He added, “I’m not even putting them down frankly, to tell you the truth. But that is the legacy of the Marvel-ization of Hollywood movies. There’s not really much room for anything else. That’s my problem.”

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” actor Simu Liu slammed Tarantino’s comments on Twitter, drawing a parallel between the “Pulp Fiction” director’s statements and fellow auteur Martin Scorsese’s criticism of the superhero genre.

“If the only gatekeepers to movie stardom came from Tarantino and Scorsese, I would never have had the opportunity to lead a $400 million plus movie,” Liu tweeted. “I am in awe of their filmmaking genius. They are transcendent auteurs. But they don’t get to point their nose at me or anyone.”

Liu continued, “No movie studio is or ever will be perfect. But I’m proud to work with one that has made sustained efforts to improve diversity onscreen by creating heroes that empower and inspire people of all communities everywhere. I loved the ‘Golden Age’ too…but it was white as hell.” d

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