Seth Rogen says Marvel films have become ‘the competition’ for smaller comedies
Actor and filmmaker named Thor: Ragnarok and Ant-Man as MCU films that encroach on comic turf
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Seth Rogen has said that the commercial success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has made it more difficult for smaller-budget comedy films.
In an interview with Games Radar, the Superbad star noted that many of the films in the MCU could feasibly be categorised as comedies, such as 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok.
“Something that me and [regular collaborator Evan Goldberg] talk about a lot is how Marvel movies are comedies,” he said. “Thor: Ragnarok is a comedy. Ant-Man is a comedy at its core. So that’s what’s out there.
“There are $200 million comedies out there, and so that’s something, as a comedic filmmaker, to be aware of. That is the benchmark that people expect!”
Rogen is known for starring in studio comedies. His latest release, An American Pickle, sees the actor play a man who was suspended in pickle brine for 100 years.
The filmmaker went on: “If you’re going to make a big huge comedy, just know that your competition is like Marvel. Not to say you should not make those types of films, but know that’s what audiences are seeing, and that, when you see those movies in theatres, they are playing like comedies. They are legitimately funny and star comedy stars.
“That’s something we talk about a lot – just to be aware of as filmmakers. These huge budget films function like comedies. Audiences still love comedy, and they want that – Deadpool – but the scope of them is huge. So when you’re not offering them that scope, you have to think, ‘What am I offering them?’”
Rogen is far from the only filmmaker to have complained about the prominence of Marvel films at the global box office.
Director Martin Scorsese was at the centre of a heated debate last year when he described the popular superhero franchise as “not cinema”, and likened them to “theme parks”.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments