Just in case you were wondering, director Martin Scorsese still has a bone to pick with franchise culture in cinema–specifically with comic-book movies. In an extensive interview with GQ, Scorsese, 80, discussed those enduring topics–which have long been a sticking point for him–and his future career aspirations.
When asked about the prevalence of blockbusters, Scorsese voiced concerns about their influence on audiences less inclined to seek out alternative forms of cinema. “The danger there is what it’s doing to our culture,” Scorsese said. “Because there are going to be generations now that think movies are only those–that’s what movies are.”
GQ suggested that these beliefs might already be in circulation, a notion Scorsese agreed with adding, “Which means that we have to then fight back stronger. And it’s got to come from the grassroots level. It’s gotta come from the filmmakers themselves. And you’ll have, you know, the Safdie brothers, and you’ll have Chris Nolan, you know what I mean? And hit ’em from all sides. Hit ’em from all sides, and don’t give up. Let’s see what you got. Go out there and do it. Go reinvent. Don’t complain about it. But it’s true, because we’ve got to save cinema.”