Brian Cox is firmly in his “zero fucks given” phase of his career. We’ve seen him do this in recent years, where he is perfectly happy to trash certain things. This time, he is taking on cinema and how it is being affected by all the superhero films. As you might expect, he’s not really a fan.
Speaking at an Edinburgh International Film Festival panel (via THR), Brian Cox talked about the current state of cinema. That is to say, he talks about how TV has overtaken cinema in terms of quality. And he blames superhero films and event films.
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“What’s happened is that television is doing what cinema used to do,” Cox explained. “I think cinema is in a very bad way. I think it’s lost its place because of, partly, the grandiose element between Marvel, DC and all of that. And I think it’s beginning to implode, actually. You’re kind of losing the plot.”
He then goes on to talk about films such as “Deadpool & Wolverine” and other superhero films being a big party for actors because they make a lot of money.
He added, “So it’s just become a party time for certain actors to do this stuff. When you know that Hugh Jackman can do a bit more, Ryan Reynolds… but it’s because they go down that road and it’s box office. They make a lot of money. You can’t knock it.”
It’s not a shock to see Cox talk about superhero films in this way. Yes, even though he was in a very popular superhero film more than 20 years ago (“X2”), that doesn’t mean he’s a fan of those films. He seems to be firmly in the camp that says superhero films are contributing to the decline of cinema.
Cox, for his credit, is working in TV and doing some great stuff. He was a main part of the massive success of HBO’s “Succession.” So, at least, he’s putting his money where his mouth is.
As for the idea that superhero films are part of the reason why cinema is “in a very bad way,” that’s not really an original thought at this point. We’ve seen a number of high profile people speak ill of the genre.