'Dune' Director Denis Villeneuve Say Marvel Films "Turned Us Into Zombies"

Criticizing that too many of these films are “cut and paste” copies of one another.

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Dune director Denis Villeneuve has offered his own criticism on the artistic substance of Marvel films. Villeneuve is not the first director to weigh in on the debate as Martin Scorsese once compared MCU movies to theme parks.

After speaking to The Direct, Villeneuve revealed that Marvel movies “have turned us into zombies a bit.” He claims that the issue “is that we are in front of too many Marvel movies that are nothing more than a ‘cut and paste’ of others.” He added, “Just think of the golden age of Hollywood to see that commercial films can make a different artistic proposal and, therefore, political. I have never felt like a loss or an impediment to have a generous budget to do what I wanted to do. Upside down.”

Villeneuve seems to want to debunk the myth that large budget films cannot be “artistically relevant at the same time.” The director also recently made another comment about MCU films to Premiere, “If we’re talking about Marvel, the thing is, all these films are made from the same mold. Some filmmakers can add a little color to it, but they’re all cast in the same factory.” However, he does clarify that, “It doesn’t take anything away from the movies, but they are formatted.”

Dune releases in theaters on October 22.

In other entertainment news, Jessica Jones star Krysten Ritter has revealed that she wants to return to Marvel.

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Joyce Li
Joyce Li Editor

For over half a decade, Joyce Li has served as an Editor on Hypebeast's global team, leveraging profound industry insights to capture the zeitgeist. Through her editorial lens, she anticipates emerging trends while dedicating her platform to spotlighting those making the greatest impact on culture today. A storyteller first and foremost, she examines the cross-pollination of fashion, footwear, art, music, and sports. This intersectional approach has led to compelling interviews with industry-defining figures like LeBron James, Pharrell Williams, Tom Brady, NIGO, A$AP Rocky, KAWS, and more.

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