Even though he’s a legendary filmmaker, it’s safe to assume Michael Mann isn’t the top name on Kevin Feige’s short list of directors to discuss Marvel Studios projects with. Sure, Feige would probably love to have Mann involved in a superhero project, but let’s be real, the filmmaker isn’t someone who would likely decide to work within the Marvel content factory. That said, it appears Mann isn’t someone who thinks all superhero films are trash.
READ MORE: The 21 Best Films Of 2023
Speaking in an upcoming episode of The Playlist’s The Discourse podcast, Michael Mann discussed his upcoming “Ferrari.” But he also talked a bit about Marvel Studios and the idea of potentially making a superhero film in the future. That is to say, he’s likely not going to do it, but that’s not because he has any fundamental issues with superhero films.
“I only make films that I feel passionate about and that placed me a little bit more on the frontier,” explained Mann. “That’s where I do my best work. I’d like to be a journeyman director, go from film to film to film, but I don’t think I’d be very good at it. It doesn’t get my blood running.”
He continued, “On the other hand, I think that ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ for example, not necessarily this last one, but the two before, have really worked and I love watching them. And the reason they work is because they have a really, really well done story structure behind them. So it’s exciting in the sense of being able to expand into myth that way and to create myth. I think that’s a very exciting medium. Let’s not say something I wanna do. I do wanna do a science fiction project, but it’s not superheroes.”
Hey, if you’re James Gunn and you hear the compliment about the first two ‘Guardians’ films from someone as accomplished as Mann, you have to be lighting up a bit. (Nevermind the comment about the third film not living up to the first two, but Gunn is probably going to wipe away his tears in the pile of money he’s made and his new cushy position at DC Studios.)
But it is interesting to hear an iconic director, who has worked on films for decades now, not completely trash superhero movies. It seems like the “cool” thing to do with auteur filmmakers to shit all over Marvel. Instead, Mann gives a nuanced answer, where he doesn’t outright call superhero films garbage, but he actually compliments one franchise and says it’s just not for him. That’s pretty refreshing.
That said, don’t expect “Avengers: Secret Wars” to become a Michael Mann project. He’s likely going to be a bit busy with that long-awaited “Heat 2” anyway.
“Ferrari” arrives in theaters on December 25.
Additional reporting from Mike DeAngelo.