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"Part of the Marvelization of Hollywood is you have all these actors...but they're not movie stars." - Tarantino

DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
Well let's see, I just smoked a jay and have some time to vibe on this. Gonna just try and remember all of the heroes and major villains in rough (key word rough) order as they appeared. Green is they were already stars, red is a point to Tarantino, yellow is a toss up

  • Iron Man | Robert Downey Jr | Was already one of the most popular actors in the world, and an icon
  • Pepper Potts | Gwyneth Paltrow | Was a huge star
  • Nick Fury | Samuel L Jackson | Icon
  • Captain America | Chris Evans | Was already a household name for the millennials who Marvel was targeting, but probably wasn't terribly well known amongst people Tarantino's age
  • Thor | Chris Hemsworth | Tarantino has a point here
  • Jane Foster, The Mighty Thor | Natalie Portman | Was already a huge star
  • Loki | Tom Hiddleston | Point Tarantino
  • Hulk | Mark Ruffalo | Was already a well known dramatic actor
  • Black Widow | Scarlett Johannessen | Was already a huge star
  • Hawk-Eye | Jeremy Renner | Among movie buffs he was well known. Furthermore his movie right before Thor was The Town, in which he was a nominee for an Academy Award for best supporting actor
  • The Falcon | Anthony Mackie | Was already a star. Maybe not a big star in terms of accolades and the caliber of films her worked on. But he had been in a slew of films and was immediately recognizable
  • Scarlet Witch | Elizabet Olsen | Point Tarantino
  • Quicksilver | Aaron Taylor-Johnson | Pretty well known, in that he was one of those actors who's face many recognized but didn't know his name. Toss up
  • Spider-Man | Tom Holland | Toss up, because it's not really fair. Dude was practically a kid and this was his first major film role, and to my knowledge first work outside of the UK
  • Star Lord | Chris Pratt | Was definitely a big star from The Office Parks and Rec alone. In fact more people still probably remember him from that moreso than Marvel stuff
  • Gamora | Zoe Saldana | Had already been a lead in her own films, and was in Star Trek
  • Groot | Vin Diesel | Was already a huge star
  • Rocket Raccoon | Bradley Cooper | Was already a huge star
  • Drax the Destroyer | Dave Bautista | As far as his film work goes, sure, newcomer. But he was well known as a wrestler and fighter. Toss up
  • Ultron | James Spader | Was already an icon like his pal Downey Jr
  • Thanos | Josh Brolin | Was already a huge star
  • Doctor Strange | Benedict Cumberbatch | Was already am international star
  • Wong | Benedict Wong | He was a already a journeyman actor, but not well known. Point Tarantino
  • Black Panther | Chadwick Boseman | As far as I recall this was his first real role. Point for Tarantino
  • Shuri | Letitia Wright | Point Tarantino
  • Ramonda | Angela Basset | Was a star and icon
  • Erik Killmonger | Michael B Jordan | Was already a huge star
  • Ant-Man | Paul Rudd | Huge star already
  • The Wasp | Evangeline Lilly | Was already a huge star from Lost
  • Hank Pym | Michael Douglas | Icon
  • The Vulture | Michael Keaton | Icon
  • Captain Marvel | Brie Larson | Point Tarantino
  • Yonn-Rogg | Jude Law | Was a huge star
  • Kang the Conqueror | Jonathan Majors | Toss up. His star was rapidly rising, but wasn't quite well known yet. He's looking to be a major star in the making however

OK that's all I can take. I probably missed a bunch. Final tally:

He's right: 7
He's wrong: 23
Toss up: 4

Conclusion: old man yelling at clouds

Edit: added a bunch I forgot

Only things I'll note are these:

Chadwick Boseman was famous before Black Panther... He came up from TV and then his breakout role (on the big screen) was Jackie Robinson in "42" ... Then he was in "Get On Up" as James Brown.... Then "Draft Day" with Kevin Costner... He had "Message from the King" come out the same year as "Civil War"... Then "Marshall" where he played Thurgood Marshall... Then post " Endgame " he had "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom", "21 Bridges" and "Da 5 Bloods".

He was already a bonafide movie star before his first moment in an an MCU film.

Also, Brie Larson was an academy Award winner for Best Actress before she was cast as Captain Marvel... And had been in multiple movies before being cast in the MCU as well...

That's all I had to say concerning your list.

I THINK that's all I had to say...
 

Tams

Gold Member
And?

That your film has famous actors as the focal point of your film is really no different. Perhaps, it even means that the film's story ain't great.

And, I can't speak for others, but I'm there for the story, of which the characters are an integral part. I don't really care who the actors are. All I want them to do is do a good job.

That characters can be replaced by another actor is also a bonus for the audience. It means new attempts or takes can be made. It also gives future generations an opportunity to see a modern version of them. And they don't get too old to be played. Sure, the studios like that they are resusable, but so what?

People like characters too. I, along with many, can name long lists of them. Names of actors though? Nowhere near as many. And I certainly can't remember any of Tarantino's characters (presumably because he was going for the star power), even though I do enjoy his films.

And there are still plenty of imaginative, 'orgininal', creative films being made to discover, if you would just smelling your own farts, Mr. Tarantino.
 
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DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
The fact that he thinks no other movies get seen other than Marvel, DC, Star Wars, etc.... He's lying out his butt or he's genuinely clueless... Plenty of other movies are being seen! No, not all of them are billion-dollar makers but plenty are successful.

Look at Smile and Top Gun Maverick and a whole host of others.
 

ZehDon

Gold Member
I think "marvelization" is a cop-out. Streaming services did more to kill the mid-budget film than Marvel ever did, yet, those kinda of movies are still out there. You just have to look.

Next month, I'm watching Avatar: The Way of Water - a bet-the-farm-all-in insanely expensive film about... blue children swimming with fish?
Last year I watched Dune, a hundred-million-dollar epic culminating in one of the most intensely realised visions from surrealist science fiction I've ever seen. I also watched a smaller British movie called Bull, about a mob enforcer who mysteriously returns after a 10 absence to enact vengence.

CInema is pretty varied. If Tarantino doesn't like superheroes, I feel he's still got plenty to watch at either end of the spectrum.
 

sankt-Antonio

:^)--?-<
"And they're the only things that seem to generate any kind of excitement amongst a fan base or even for the studio making them. That's what they're excited about."

That just sounds like you're not making exciting enough movies...?
Difference is, Tarantino made Travolta hot shit after Pulp Fiction.
No one’s cares for the Marvel actors side projects. They are Marvel Avatars.
 
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MCU fans after seeing yet another cinema auteur criticizing their new favorite Disney product:
Angry The Little Rascals GIF


MCU fans after seeing that Anthony Mackie said the same thing years ago:
Friday Movie GIF
 

KrakenIPA

Member
Difference is, Tarantino made Travolta hot shit after Pulp Fiction.
No one’s cares for the Marvel actors side projects. They are Marvel Avatars.
I cared about Vincent Vega when he was on the shitter reading a book.

I did not care about Sam Wilson doing...anything.
 

Spaceman292

Banned
Is he wrong though. No one goes to a movie to see the actor, they go for the IP. All the movie stars left gained their stardom in the 80s and 90s.
I don't really see how that's a bad thing. Going to see a movie because of the content of the movie rather than blindly seeing anything with recognisable faces on the poster. Would you rather everyone flood to see the Dr Dolittle movie just because RDJ is in it?
 

Mobilemofo

Member
I like the marvel movies. I've grown up on a diet of mid 80s into the 90s films in my teens. Many classics through those times. Many of these actors in the marvel films, ruffalo for example, do have a good resume way before green screen became the default. Downey Jr has quite resume too. Someone mentioned boseman, he came up thru TV. Everybody needs to work, and so, if your asked to be in a marvel movie, your more than likely to accept. Shits popular. As Alan Partridge says...

"Wankanda, ironman, justice league, batman, superman..what does that say to you about green screen movies?"

Haires : " that there are too many of them and that the quality may be diluting as we speak?"

Partridge: " that's one way of looking at it..another way of looking at it is, people like them, let's make more!!!"

😄
 

Raven117

Member
I agree with him. Not on the movie star thing, but pretty much everything else. But hey, if at least some fans are enjoying these movies, cool. (But it does seem those movies are sucking all the air out of the room)
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
I like the marvel movies. I've grown up on a diet of mid 80s into the 90s films in my teens. Many classics through those times. Many of these actors in the marvel films, ruffalo for example, do have a good resume way before green screen became the default. Downey Jr has quite resume too. Someone mentioned boseman, he came up thru TV. Everybody needs to work, and so, if your asked to be in a marvel movie, your more than likely to accept. Shits popular. As Alan Partridge says...

"Wankanda, ironman, justice league, batman, superman..what does that say to you about green screen movies?"

Haires : " that there are too many of them and that the quality may be diluting as we speak?"

Partridge: " that's one way of looking at it..another way of looking at it is, people like them, let's make more!!!"

😄
That's the thing. It doesn't matter if it's a repetitive Disney movie plot with different characters (I remember a site doing analysis on DIsney cartoons years back and it came back basically saying it's the same core plot but different characters and setting) or people playing Candy Crush for 15 years.

If people like it and it makes a billion dollars, it cant be that bad. It might not be a cerebral movie, but neither were Stallone and Arnie movies in the 80s and 90s.

I think guys like Tarantino are sore because his movies have a lot of character development and zero CGI. On the other hand a typical superhero movie is $100M of CGI and $100M in well known stars all pretending to be flying and punching on a green screen. So he feels sleighted people would rather watch a movie that has more effort into special effects than a Tarantino plot twist.

That's life. Not everyone wants to buy unique stuff. Sometimes people just want to sit back and eat repetitive greasy burgers than quality cured meats in fresh artisan bread.
 

Mobilemofo

Member
That's the thing. It doesn't matter if it's a repetitive Disney movie plot with different characters (I remember a site doing analysis on DIsney cartoons years back and it came back basically saying it's the same core plot but different characters and setting) or people playing Candy Crush for 15 years.

If people like it and it makes a billion dollars, it cant be that bad. It might not be a cerebral movie, but neither were Stallone and Arnie movies in the 80s and 90s.

I think guys like Tarantino are sore because his movies have a lot of character development and zero CGI. On the other hand a typical superhero movie is $100M of CGI and $100M in well known stars all pretending to be flying and punching on a green screen. So he feels sleighted people would rather watch a movie that has more effort into special effects than a Tarantino plot twist.

That's life. Not everyone wants to buy unique stuff. Sometimes people just want to sit back and eat repetitive greasy burgers than quality cured meats in fresh artisan bread.
Agreed. Change happens, alot of folk get left behind..me, I'm like water..go with the flow.

Going from arthouse films like the usual suspects to avatar to the whole marvel kerfuffle, I've personally enjoyed the transition. Like you said, sometimes you don't want a fuckin masterpiece, you want brain candy..eg; Pacific Rim. Love that first movie. No thought required. Just sit back and watch shit get fucked up. Lovely stuff.

Edit: wanted to comment on the whole 80s and some 90s hero movies. Ahhhnuld and Sylvester's were so fuckin awful that they were superb. Like those mental sci-fi movies 'super shark Vs humongous goldfish, or some shit. They are ridiculous in their ideas and execution and that's part of the appeal. 😄
 
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AmuroChan

Member
There are very few actors today that can carry a movie on their own. Look at someone like RDJ, who's the face of the MCU and one of the most well known and beloved actors currently. He's starred in two non-MCU movies in the last 10 years - Dolittle and The Judge. Both tanked at the boxoffice. I don't know that I would attribute this issue to Marvel necessarily, but there's no question that the age of the movie stars carrying movies by their names alone is pretty much over.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
I dont agree with him on the movie star thing. I mean hes right but it doesnt matter to me if Tom Cruise is highlighting a good film as long as its good.

One of the best movies of the last decade is Mad Max. Tom Hardy is a nobody compared to the action stars of the 90s. The movie is incredible because of the director's uncompromising vision. It wasnt cooked in a Marvel lab. And thats the issue here. The movies feel like tv shows with a 100 hands all making it as formulaic as possible. Everything feels generic even if its meant to be different. Hes like about being excited for these movies in your 20s and I was in my 20s for phase 1 and even phase 2, but I remember watching a lot of those phase 2 movies and thinking this is starting to get old.

I was really excited about Doctor Strange. Inception 2.0 I had figured but nope. It's Iron Man 2.0. These guys know how to make 1 movie. They are incredibly untalented. They dont have faith in their screenplays. Faith in their ability to write scenes with actual drama. So many emotional scenes are interrupted by quips because they are like that edgy teen who has to make a joke because he cant stand being vulnerable. Maybe thats why they are so popular with that generation.

That said, I still like what WB does with their movies. At least some of them. Joker was mesmerizing. TDK and Batman Begins are movies id put up against any of the cool 80s and 90s action movies. They have heart without needing to resort to quips. Even the latest Batman movie while not up there with the likes of TDK and Batman Begins is an exhilarating watch because of its whodunit plot inspired by Seven. It's Seven 2.0, not TDK 2.0. It feels like a different movie that a millenial no longer in his 20s can enjoy because its not your traditional comic book movie.

Sadly with that hack James Gunn in charge, that era of good DC movies is done.

As for the rest of cinema, these directors need to put their money where their mouth is and use their influence and the hundreds of millions they have acculumated over the years to make movies like Mad Max, Dunkirk, and even flawed movies like Tenet. They dont. They make passion projects like the Fablemans, Silence, Once Upon A Time In hollywood, and that Gucci movie. Or combine your dollars and create a new movie studio where movies like that are greenlit again. Nah, they will just die with their millions instead.

P.S Ronald Emrich goes out there and still makes his independent $200 million movies. Not all of them are hits but man that guy is still making 90s era movies in 2022. say what you will about Moonfall, but Midway was absolutely incredible. Shockingly historically accurate too. It CAN be done.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
There are very few actors today that can carry a movie on their own. Look at someone like RDJ, who's the face of the MCU and one of the most well known and beloved actors currently. He's starred in two non-MCU movies in the last 10 years - Dolittle and The Judge. Both tanked at the boxoffice. I don't know that I would attribute this issue to Marvel necessarily, but there's no question that the age of the movie stars carrying movies by their names alone is pretty much over.
Probably because as time passes, movies transition to more CGI. Most of the big name movies now are either animated flicks or some SW or superhero movie which is 90% CGI. When you got cartoon characters or actors in costumes shooting lasers in a mega fight in collapsing buildings and on blown up bridges, how can any movie watcher be in tune with the actor spewing his lines? It's not about their acting ability or clever dialogue. It's about when the next action scene is where Captain America throws his shield or Hulk goes on a rampage pounding anything that moves.

I'm pretty sure nobody cares what Mark Ruffalo says as Bruce Banner in the million Marvel movies he's been in. I bet more people would rather hear Hulk grunt like a barbarian.

Back in the day, numbnut movies like a Chuck Norris Delta Force movie or Arnie's endless gun toting movies had killing and explosions too, and whatever lousy looking CGI they had back in the day, but it was still focused on them.

Another thing that doesn't help actors in modern day is that the top movies have a million stars all getting their 15 minutes. Old movies had a main hero, main villain and a couple supporting cast. Each Marvel movie has a shitload of people in it.
 
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AmuroChan

Member
Probably because as time passes, movies transition to more CGI. Most of the big name movies now are either animated flicks or some SW or superhero movie which is 90% CGI. When you got cartoon characters or actors in costumes shooting lasers in a mega fight in collapsing buildings and on blown up bridges, how can any movie watcher be in tune with the actor spewing his lines? It's not about their acting ability or clever dialogue. It's about when the next action scene is where Captain America throws his shield or Hulk goes on a rampage pounding anything that moves.

I'm pretty sure nobody cares what Mark Ruffalo says as Bruce Banner in the million Marvel movies he's been in. I bet more people would rather hear Hulk grunt like a barbarian.

Back in the day, numbnut movies like a Chuck Norris Delta Force movie or Arnie's endless gun toting movies had killing and explosions too, and whatever lousy looking CGI they had back in the day, but it was still focused on them.

You're right about the action movies, but where are the Forrest Gump's and Jerry McGuire's of this generation, dramas that were huge boxoffice hits and carried by movie stars? I feel like those + comedies have all mostly gone away. I re-watched Tropic Thunder a couple weeks ago. That movie is freaking hilarious. I just don't think an original movie like that is made these days anymore. Everything's gotta be either comic book or franchise-based.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
You're right about the action movies, but where are the Forrest Gump's and Jerry McGuire's of this generation, dramas that were huge boxoffice hits and carried by movie stars? I feel like those + comedies have all mostly gone away. I re-watched Tropic Thunder a couple weeks ago. That movie is freaking hilarious. I just don't think an original movie like that is made these days anymore. Everything's gotta be either comic book or franchise-based.
I have no proof of this, but I'm going to assume have box office revenue for those kinds of movies died down? So that's why they dont bother making them? I dont know.

If true, maybe for the average movie watcher, they'll just wait for those kinds of movies to come to NF or some other movie sub plan. Why pay good movie for that? Wait for something to show up to NF even if it's not the same movie like Forrest. It's like video gaming. People buy the mega hits, but with sub plans just wait for the lower budget games there. And if it never comes, who cares. Theres enough low key content to fill the gap. There doesn't need to be a Forrest 2.

But for big budget THX movies, it's worth seeing on the big screen.
 

AmuroChan

Member
I have no proof of this, but I'm going to assume have box office revenue for those kinds of movies died down? So that's why they dont bother making them? I dont know.

If true, maybe for the average movie watcher, they'll just wait for those kinds of movies to come to NF or some other movie sub plan. Why pay good movie for that? Wait for something to show up to NF even if it's not the same movie like Forrest. It's like video gaming. People buy the mega hits, but with sub plans just wait for the lower budget games there. And if it never comes, who cares. Theres enough low key content to fill the gap. There doesn't need to be a Forrest 2.

But for big budget THX movies, it's worth seeing on the big screen.

The ones on streaming are almost all terrible. They're so poorly made and badly acted. It's like the actors are just phoning it in and collecting their paychecks. There's nothing even remotely on the same level as a Shawshank Redemption or Forrest Gump.
 

DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
That's the thing. It doesn't matter if it's a repetitive Disney movie plot with different characters (I remember a site doing analysis on DIsney cartoons years back and it came back basically saying it's the same core plot but different characters and setting) or people playing Candy Crush for 15 years.

If people like it and it makes a billion dollars, it cant be that bad. It might not be a cerebral movie, but neither were Stallone and Arnie movies in the 80s and 90s.

I think guys like Tarantino are sore because his movies have a lot of character development and zero CGI. On the other hand a typical superhero movie is $100M of CGI and $100M in well known stars all pretending to be flying and punching on a green screen. So he feels sleighted people would rather watch a movie that has more effort into special effects than a Tarantino plot twist.

That's life. Not everyone wants to buy unique stuff. Sometimes people just want to sit back and eat repetitive greasy burgers than quality cured meats in fresh artisan bread.

Everything, Everywhere All At Once has CGI AND character development... It has spectacle AND heart... It's not either or... It's both. Black Panther 2 is similar in that.
 

Alcibiades

Member
I sorta get his point when it comes to Chris Evans. "All American" type, generically good looking, perfect for Captain America. He competently filled his role in the MCU, which was all that was needed. Not too many people sought out the movies because of Chris Evans specifically, but it helped that he fit the role and did a good job.

I don't see him as a box office draw though (like did he add a single ticket sale to Lightyear?)
 

Trunx81

Member
Man, I miss those days when I went to see Return of the Jedi because it had Mark Hamill in it.

I totally get his point, but Hollywood was always about the money. And the people may be stupid enough to fall over and over for the same story including anonymous army bad guys + skybeam stuff again in the third act. But seeing the quality and backslash that Phase 4 is getting, it only will work for as long as it goes. It’s been a little bit over a decade. Western ruled the cinema quite long as well.
 
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Azurro

Banned

He isn't wrong. Let's look:
- Chris Evans isn't a household name. He's a great actor but nobody goes to watch a movie because of him.
- Same thing with Chris Hemsworth, he is charismatic but he's not a box office draw.

Hemsworth and Chris Evans are the best ones outside of Robert Downey Jr. nobody is going to go see a movie just because of him. Let's look at some of the others:

- That dude that plays the falcon is a nobody without that role.
- Generic asian dude that was in Shang Chi is generic, nobody even knows his name.
- Nobody cares about what Mark Ruffalo does outside of his Hulk role.
- Tom Hiddleston was a nobody before the Loki role and he won't be a box office draw without it.
- She-Black Panther? No one cares
- She-Hulk? Way less.
- Rinse and repeat for the rest of the cast.
 
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pramod

Banned
All media is in such horrible state right now. I cant remember another time when 90% is trash and you have to try super hard to find anything worth watching.
 

IntentionalPun

Ask me about my wife's perfect butthole
Kind of a dumb comment all things considered.

The movies exist to sell characters, that much is true.. but many are played by people who were already movie stars... and the movies have helped create and elevate stars.

They are generally boring as shit and forgettable though, it's really not because of a lack of people w/ star power / charisma / good acting/etc. It's just because they are stupid comic book movies lol
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
He isn't wrong. Let's look:
- Chris Evans isn't a household name. He's a great actor but nobody goes to watch a movie because of him.
- Same thing with Chris Hemsworth, he is charismatic but he's not a box office draw.

Hemsworth and Chris Evans are the best ones outside of Robert Downey Jr. nobody is going to go see a movie just because of him. Let's look at some of the others:

- That dude that plays the falcon is a nobody without that role.
- Generic asian dude that was in Shang Chi is generic, nobody even knows his name.
- Nobody cares about what Mark Ruffalo does outside of his Hulk role.
- Tom Hiddleston was a nobody before the Loki role and he won't be a box office draw without it.
- She-Black Panther? No one cares
- She-Hulk? Way less.
- Rinse and repeat for the rest of the cast.
Nobody cares about the guy who plays Hawkeye either.
 
Yes they do. The fact that big names are still paid big bucks proves that. If the actors didn't matter and names didn't draw sales they would just hire lesser know actors for less and make the movie.


This is just another old school director throwing a hissy because the comic book movies are so successful compared to "traditional" movies.
You’re wrong. It’s also why highly paid stars like Dwayne Johnson has so many flops. If the franchise isn’t appealing, people won’t go to see the movie no matter who stars in it. Another example is Robert Downey Jr - the face of the MCU and yet his $175M blockbuster Dolittle failed.
 
Well let's see, I just smoked a jay and have some time to vibe on this. Gonna just try and remember all of the heroes and major villains in rough (key word rough) order as they appeared. Green is they were already stars, red is a point to Tarantino, yellow is a toss up

  • Iron Man | Robert Downey Jr | Was already one of the most popular actors in the world, and an icon
  • Pepper Potts | Gwyneth Paltrow | Was a huge star
  • Nick Fury | Samuel L Jackson | Icon
  • Captain America | Chris Evans | Was already a household name for the millennials who Marvel was targeting, but probably wasn't terribly well known amongst people Tarantino's age
  • Thor | Chris Hemsworth | Tarantino has a point here
  • Jane Foster, The Mighty Thor | Natalie Portman | Was already a huge star
  • Loki | Tom Hiddleston | Point Tarantino
  • Hulk | Mark Ruffalo | Was already a well known dramatic actor
  • Black Widow | Scarlett Johannessen | Was already a huge star
  • Hawk-Eye | Jeremy Renner | Among movie buffs he was well known. Furthermore his movie right before Thor was The Town, in which he was a nominee for an Academy Award for best supporting actor
  • The Falcon | Anthony Mackie | Was already a star. Maybe not a big star in terms of accolades and the caliber of films her worked on. But he had been in a slew of films and was immediately recognizable
  • Scarlet Witch | Elizabet Olsen | Point Tarantino
  • Quicksilver | Aaron Taylor-Johnson | Pretty well known, in that he was one of those actors who's face many recognized but didn't know his name. Toss up
  • Spider-Man | Tom Holland | Toss up, because it's not really fair. Dude was practically a kid and this was his first major film role, and to my knowledge first work outside of the UK
  • Star Lord | Chris Pratt | Was definitely a big star from The Office Parks and Rec alone. In fact more people still probably remember him from that moreso than Marvel stuff
  • Gamora | Zoe Saldana | Had already been a lead in her own films, and was in Star Trek
  • Groot | Vin Diesel | Was already a huge star
  • Rocket Raccoon | Bradley Cooper | Was already a huge star
  • Drax the Destroyer | Dave Bautista | As far as his film work goes, sure, newcomer. But he was well known as a wrestler and fighter. Toss up
  • Ultron | James Spader | Was already an icon like his pal Downey Jr
  • Thanos | Josh Brolin | Was already a huge star
  • Doctor Strange | Benedict Cumberbatch | Was already am international star
  • Wong | Benedict Wong | He was a already a journeyman actor, but not well known. Point Tarantino
  • Black Panther | Chadwick Boseman | As far as I recall this was his first real role. Point for Tarantino
  • Shuri | Letitia Wright | Point Tarantino
  • Ramonda | Angela Basset | Was a star and icon
  • Erik Killmonger | Michael B Jordan | Was already a huge star
  • Ant-Man | Paul Rudd | Huge star already
  • The Wasp | Evangeline Lilly | Was already a huge star from Lost
  • Hank Pym | Michael Douglas | Icon
  • The Vulture | Michael Keaton | Icon
  • Captain Marvel | Brie Larson | Point Tarantino
  • Yonn-Rogg | Jude Law | Was a huge star
  • Kang the Conqueror | Jonathan Majors | Toss up. His star was rapidly rising, but wasn't quite well known yet. He's looking to be a major star in the making however

OK that's all I can take. I probably missed a bunch. Final tally:

He's right: 7
He's wrong: 23
Toss up: 4

Conclusion: old man yelling at clouds

Edit: added a bunch I forgot
We must have different definitions of “huge star”.
 

Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
Just watched Planes, Trains, and Automobiles tonight. Tarantino's is right. You went to that movie in 1987 to see Steve Martin and John Candy. The camera is always on one of the two for essentially the entire movie.

Very few people care about Chris Hemsworth or Robert Downey Jr movies if they're not wearing spandex anymore.
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
All media is in such horrible state right now. I cant remember another time when 90% is trash and you have to try super hard to find anything worth watching.
Some good TV series this year. Out of the small number I've had time to see: House of the Dragon, Terminal List, Andor, Peacemaker.

For movies this year, some notables are Maverick, Prey, All Quiet on the Western Front, Everything Everywhere, The Northman, The Batman, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and Avatar 2 is about to hit.

95% of media is always trash. We just ignore the chaff when we look back on previous years compared to evaluating it one by one as it comes out.
 
Watched King Kong with family yesterday and had to have a long debate to watch it. I kept telling them it’s not the “franchise” King Kong, it’s Peter Jackson’s King Kong - an actual movie. My zoomer cousins were surprised how good a movie could be. I wouldn’t exactly call the movie industry great right now - sure MCU has success as it’s easily accessible, but still trash tho.
 
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The Cockatrice

Gold Member
Hes partially right. Super hero movies were kinda jank, rarely good, mostly meh but they felt unique many many years ago. Nowadays, they are pretty much from top to bottom, generic as fuck most of them, and very few of them are awesome(lets say Infinity War for example or the first Guardians of the Galaxy). Marvelization means they are now being made in factories like the iphones. Quantity over quality. I puked when I saw how many we're getting in the following 2-3 years. Ridiculous. But sadly most people are brainwashed these days and just eat up anything Disney throws at them. Its enough to look at all the shit we got this year, even on gaf, to see, how straight up people love all that garbage and this is all coming from someone who loves superheroes. Hell, I teared up in Infinity War and I loved the last fight in Endgame but I am tired of them as well. They need to be more creative, enough with the same generic CGI shit.
 
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Tams

Gold Member
He isn't wrong. Let's look:
- Chris Evans isn't a household name. He's a great actor but nobody goes to watch a movie because of him.
- Same thing with Chris Hemsworth, he is charismatic but he's not a box office draw.

Hemsworth and Chris Evans are the best ones outside of Robert Downey Jr. nobody is going to go see a movie just because of him. Let's look at some of the others:

- That dude that plays the falcon is a nobody without that role.
- Generic asian dude that was in Shang Chi is generic, nobody even knows his name.
- Nobody cares about what Mark Ruffalo does outside of his Hulk role.
- Tom Hiddleston was a nobody before the Loki role and he won't be a box office draw without it.
- She-Black Panther? No one cares
- She-Hulk? Way less.
- Rinse and repeat for the rest of the cast.
In the UK at least, Tom Hiddlestone's name has some pull. Small market, but if it all fell through he could easily live off British TV dramas and indie films. He's already done The Night Manager and The Essex Serpent.

It's hardly prevented people like Idris Elba, Benedict Cumbermunch, or Matt Smith from doing well for themselves.
 
If you compare superhero movies to gangster movies you can see there are lots of different actors playing Batman and lots of different actors playing the lead gangster tough guy. However; whilst there is a difference between the ways that various actors interpret the Batman role it’s far less than you get in gangster films. Michael Keaton vs Robert Pattionson as Batmanis far less interesting that Al Pachino’s Tony Montana vs Robert De Niro’s Vito Corleone.
 
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