Samuel L. Jackson refutes Quentin Tarantino’s Marvel "movie star" comments

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in Marvel's Secret Invasion

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Marvel actor and frequent Quentin Tarantino collaborator Samuel L. Jackson has weighed in on the Pulp Fiction director's comments about superhero movies. Tarantino said on a recent podcast that it's the characters who are the real stars in Marvel movies, rather than the actors playing them.

"You have all these actors who have become famous playing these characters," Tarantino told 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."

Tarantino also lamented that he feels the movies are the only things that seem to be made in Hollywood, meaning there’s "not really much room for anything else". In a recent appearance on the US talk show The View (H/T Entertainment Weekly), Jackson, who plays Nick Fury in the MCU, responded to Tarantino’s comments.

"It takes an actor to be those particular characters, and the sign of movie stardom has always been, what, asses in seats," he said. "What are we talking about? That's not a big controversy for me to know that apparently, these actors are movie stars. Chadwick Boseman is Black Panther. You can't refute that, and he's a movie star."

Jackson isn’t the only actor to respond to the Marvel comments, either. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings actor Simu Liu also spoke out against them on Twitter, referencing Martin Scorsese’s anti-superhero movies opinion as well.

"If the only gatekeepers to movie stardom came from Tarantino and Scorsese, I would never have had the opportunity to lead a $400 million plus movie," the actor tweeted. "I am in awe of their filmmaking genius. They are transcendent auteurs. But they don't get to point their nose at me or anyone."

If you’re a Marvel fan, check out our guide to all of the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows on the way.

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.