Ethan Hawke says Marvel "might not be director-friendly"

Moon Knight episode 6 — (Image credit: Disney/Marvel)

Ethan Hawke, who played Arthur Harrow in Moon Knight, has shared his thoughts on Marvel – and on criticism of the studio's output from Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola.

"That group of people is extremely actor-friendly," he told IndieWire. "They might not be director-friendly, and that could be what Scorsese and Coppola are talking about. But they love actors. I think Kevin Feige had a great thing happen with Robert Downey Jr. and he understood that Downey's passion was a large part of the success. When actors are excited by a part, audiences get excited about watching them. Feige understood the algorithm there, so they're extremely respectful toward the process. The best thing about Moon Knight for me was Oscar [Isaac]'s performance. It's a gonzo thing that happens to have a giant budget – a pretty out-there performance."

Hawke also defended the legendary directors' opinions on the studio. "If people like Scorsese and Coppola don't come out to tell their truth about how there are more important things than making money, who's going to?" he commented, adding: "It's easy for them, but it needs to be somebody in the community saying, 'Hey, everybody, this is not Fanny and Alexander.' If you keep reviewing these movies that are basically made for 14-year-olds like they're Fanny and Alexander or Winter Light, then who the hell's going to get to make Winter Light? I appreciate the elder statesmen of the community reminding people not to set the bar too low. I know it makes some people think they're stuck up, but they're not stuck up."