Why Quentin Tarantino Refuses To Make a Superhero Movie

Quentin Tarantino is well-known for being incredibly precise with his work, and his movies always show a deep respect for the history of cinema. Whether it is a crime thriller like Reservoir Dogs or a love letter to 1960s Los Angeles like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, his style is always easy to spot.

Over the years, he has played with many different genres, including Westerns and martial arts films, but there is one popular category he has absolutely no interest in: superhero movies.

In his book Cinema Speculation, the director made it very clear that he cannot wait for the day when movies about caped crusaders are no longer the most popular things in theaters. He agrees with fellow filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who famously said that these blockbusters are more like theme parks than actual cinema.

Scorsese argued that real movies should be about human beings trying to share emotional and psychological experiences with one another, rather than just focusing on massive spectacles.

Despite this criticism, superhero movies are more successful than ever, with films like Avengers: Endgame making billions of dollars at the box office. When asked about this phenomenon in a 2022 interview with Howard Stern, Tarantino admitted that if these movies had been this popular in the 1980s, he probably would have been a fan as a young comic book lover.

However, he explained that he doesn’t enjoy modern versions because they rely way too much on computer-generated imagery and special effects added in after the filming is over.

Tarantino is a big believer in the idea that if you didn’t shoot it on the day of filming, it doesn’t really count. He prefers to work with his crew and actors to create effects that are physically there on the set, using things like makeup and animatronics.

He takes great pride in the fact that he has the best effects team in the world, who can build whatever he needs so they can capture the action on actual film rather than creating it on a computer later.

He has been heavily involved in The Adventures of Cliff Booth, a sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood that he wrote but chose not to direct. That film, which stars Brad Pitt and Elizabeth Debicki, just wrapped production in January under director David Fincher.

The director has also made headlines recently for his blunt honesty regarding other actors in the industry. In January, he sparked a massive online debate after calling actor Paul Dano weak and uninteresting during a podcast interview, leading stars like George Clooney and Toni Collette to publicly defend Dano.

While he waits for his young son to get a little older so he can bring him on a movie set, Tarantino continues to manage his New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles and work on his various writing projects.

Do you think Quentin Tarantino’s strict rule about using only practical effects makes his movies better, or is he being too hard on modern superhero films that rely on CGI? Share your thoughts in the comments!