Samuel L. Jackson is firing back at his frequent collaborator, Quentin Tarantino, after the director dissed Marvel movies. Jackson, who has appeared in multiple superhero films as Nick Fury, responded to Tarantino’s comments on this morning’s episode of The View, pushing back against his claims that MCU actors are not real movie stars.
When asked by The View co-hosts how he would respond to Tarantino’s recent words, Jackson firmly asserted that Marvel actors are stars, not just superheroes. The actor — who has appeared in Tarantino films like Jackie Brown, Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained, replied, “It takes an actor to be those particular characters, and the sign of movie stardom has always been, what, asses in seats? … What are we talking about?”
He continued, “That’s not a big controversy for me to know that apparently these actors are movie stars. You know? Chadwick Boseman is Black Panther. You can’t refute that, and he’s a movie star.”
Jackson’s View appearance comes just days after Tarantino slammed Marvel. The filmmaker appeared on comedian Tom Segura‘s 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast on Nov. 21, where he lamented the “Marvel-ization of Hollywood.”
“You have all these actors who have become famous playing these characters. But they’re not movie stars. Right? Captain America is the star. Or Thor is the star,” he said at the time.
Tarantino added, “I mean, I’m not the first person to say that. I think that’s been said a zillion times, you know, but, you know, but it’s like, you know, it’s these franchise characters that become a star.”
Simu Liu, who starred in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, also spoke out against Tarantino, writing on Twitter shortly after the podcast dropped that directors like he and Martin Scorsese (who has also dissed Marvel) can’t “point their nose at me or anyone” for starring in the MCU.
“No movie studio is or ever will be perfect,” Liu wrote. “But I’m proud to work with one that has made sustained efforts to improve diversity onscreen by creating heroes that empower and inspire people of all communities everywhere. I loved the ‘Golden Age’ too.. but it was white as hell.”
The View airs weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.
