Actor Elizabeth Olson has weighed in the now years-long debate throughout the filmmaking community about Marvel films and similar big-budget blockbusters. While speaking with the Independent for an interview promoting her appearance in the recently released Doctor Strange 2, the topic came back up–and Olson explained her nuanced philosophy.
“I’m not saying we’re making indie art films, but I think [the criticism] takes away from our crew, which bugs me,” Olson said. “These are some of the most amazing set designers, costume designers, camera operators–I feel diminishing them with that kind of criticism takes away from all the people who do award-winning films, that also work on these projects.”
Olson added that “from an actor’s point of view, whatever, I get it; I totally understand that there’s a different kind of performance that’s happening. But I do think throwing Marvel under the bus takes away from the hundreds of very talented crew people. That’s where I get a little feisty about that.”
Back in 2019, acclaimed directors Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola both spoke out harshly against the Marvel franchise of films, arguing that the comic adaptations are reducing opportunities for smaller filmmakers and new talent to break into the industry. However, in 2021, eagle-eyed fans on Reddit noticed that Scorsese once said in a 2003 documentary titled A Decade Under the Influence that he enjoys Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films. Which means maybe he’s also given the new Raimi-directed Doctor Strange a shot.
If you’ve already seen the sequel and are still puzzling over the ending and post-credits scene, here’s our rundown of both.
