Quentin Tarantino says Marvel actors 'aren't movie stars'

Captain America in the MCU
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Quentin Tarantino says there aren't any movie stars anymore due to the "Marvel-ization of Hollywood."

"You have all these actors who have become famous playing these characters," Tarantino explained to the 2 Bears 1 Cave podcast. "But they're not movie stars. Right? Captain America is the star. Or Thor is the star. I mean, I'm not the first person to say that. I think that's been said a zillion times…but it's like, you know, it's these franchise characters that become a star."

"My only axe to grind against them is they're the only things that seem to be made," he added. "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. And so it's just the fact that they are the entire representation of this era of movies right now. There's not really much room for anything else. That's my problem."

Marvel Boss Kevin Feige unveiled the studio's plans for Marvel phases 5 and 6 at San Diego Comic-Con earlier this year, with projects that span over the next few years. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever just hit theaters and is already close to hitting $550 million at the global box office. Safe to say: Marvel is immensely profitable for Hollywood, and it's not going away anytime soon.

Tarantino previously told the Los Angeles Times that he would never direct a Marvel movie, stating that, "You have to be a hired hand to do those things. I'm not a hired hand. I'm not looking for a job."

For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2022 and beyond.

Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.