Chloé Zhao Defends Comic Book Movies, Says It’s “Important to Not Write Off” Superhero Storytelling

Filmmakers who move between prestige awards contenders and blockbuster franchise work often find themselves fielding questions about whether those two worlds can genuinely coexist. Few directors straddle that divide as visibly as this Oscar winner, whose career has bounced between intimate independent dramas and one of the most talked-about Marvel films in recent memory.

That contrast became the central topic during a wide-ranging masterclass at this year’s Venice Film Festival, where Chloé Zhao opened up about her career, her lifelong love of manga, and the mixed reception surrounding her 2021 Marvel movie ‘Eternals.’ Rather than distancing herself from that project, Zhao used the opportunity to make a broader case for why comic book storytelling deserves genuine respect.

Zhao pushed back on dismissing comic book movies simply because audiences don’t consider them high art. She said that as a storyteller, her purpose is humbly to create containers for people to process what they need to process, arguing that archetypes serve that function especially well since they appear consistently across myths throughout human history, something she believes is universally shared, according to Variety.

That defense carries particular weight given Zhao’s own complicated history with the genre. ‘Eternals‘ fell short of box office expectations, grossing roughly $400 million globally against a budget exceeding $200 million, and drew mixed reviews from critics upon release. Despite that reception, Zhao maintained during the masterclass that she genuinely loved directing the film, describing it as a dream come true for anyone who grew up loving anime.

Zhao revealed that she originally dreamed of becoming a manga artist as a child, before eventually deciding storytelling itself mattered more than which specific medium delivered it. She explained that comic books function as the Western equivalent of manga, acknowledging the two forms are quite different but noting that growing up in the West, comics were simply what she had access to.

That personal connection to the genre appears central to why Zhao continues advocating for comic book storytelling even years after ‘Eternals’ underperformed. Her stance stands in notable contrast to other prominent filmmakers, including Martin Scorsese, who has famously compared Marvel movies to theme parks rather than genuine cinema.

When a moderator suggested that ‘Nomadland’ and ‘Eternals’ represented opposite ends of the filmmaking spectrum, Zhao firmly rejected that framing. She argued both stories fundamentally center on people existing in nature while navigating complicated relationships with the world and creatures around them, refusing to treat her intimate character drama and her cosmic superhero epic as fundamentally incompatible modes of storytelling.

That willingness to find thematic continuity across such different projects reinforces her broader argument that genre alone shouldn’t determine a story’s artistic merit. Given that Zhao has actually worked within the franchise system herself, her defense carries a credibility that’s often missing from critics who’ve never made a studio blockbuster.

Beyond her comments on genre, Zhao also touched on more introspective territory during the conversation, admitting to an ongoing existential question about her life as a filmmaker constantly viewing the world through a screen. That candid moment added an unexpectedly personal layer to what began as a defense of an entire genre of filmmaking.

With superhero movies having cooled considerably in popularity since their pre-pandemic peak, Zhao’s full-throated defense arrives at a notable moment for the genre’s broader cultural standing. Her comments suggest that regardless of how any individual comic book film performs commercially or critically, she remains firmly convinced the format still has real storytelling value worth protecting.

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