Simu Liu Claps Back at Tarantino and Scorsese’s ‘Golden Age’ of Cinema

It’s no mystery that auteur filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino are not fans of the recent trend of superhero movies, and just recently, Tarantino had made headlines by saying that the Marvel Studios films don’t make ‘movie stars’ anymore.

For context, this is what Tarantino told Variety:

“Part of the Marvel-ization of Hollywood is…you have all these actors who have become famous playing these characters. But they’re not movie stars. Right? Captain America is the star. Or Thor is the star. 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.”

 Now Shang-Chi star (or is he?) Simu Liu has decided to go online commenting on Tarantino’s alleged cultural gatekeeping, saying that there is some benefit to the new cinematic system. Liu posts:

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.

— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) November 22, 2022

If anything, Liu definitely has his own point, but some think that he’s missing the real message that Tarantino is trying to get through—in that the problem is with the studios and the audiences. This is the same ‘Marvel doesn’t make stars’ idea, but iterated by the next Captain America Anthony Mackie:

I honestly don’t think he told one lie pic.twitter.com/FjGtKsiZht

— Nicholas (@NicholasPascar5) November 22, 2022

This debate on the ‘Death of Cinema’ has been going on online for a while, but every now and then we still get some very interesting original films like Everything, Everywhere, All at Once and The Northman. Even the superhero movies are starting to step into auteur territory with Matt Reeves’ The Batman.

Who knows, maybe the audience can change their tune in the next decade, but for now, there a certainly pros and cons when it comes to the current status quo.