Simu Liu slams Quentin Tarantino: ‘Hollywood was white as hell’ – the Chinese-born Shang-Chi star took to Twitter to defend Marvel, after the director mocked Tinseltown’s ‘Marvelisation’ monopoly

Nov 25 , 2022

Marvel actor Simu Liu (left) clapped back at acclaimed film director Quentin Tarantino (right) after the latter criticised Marvel’s superhero movies. Photos: TNS, EPA-EFE

The Inglourious Basterds director sparked uproar for claiming Marvel characters like Captain America (Chris Evans) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) are what draw audiences into the films

Taxi Driver’s Martin Scorsese also criticised the superhero productions, despite the Disney giant’s diversity efforts with films like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Although Quentin Tarantino has produced some of the best films in American cinema history, the director is also known for his outspoken views and occasional controversies that often result in backlash.

Most recently in November, the Pulp Fiction filmmaker sparked outrage in his interview on the 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast for attributing the decline of Hollywood movie stars to the industry’s “Marvelisation”, despite its growing praise in representation. Tarantino added that Marvel films are “the only things that seem to be made”.

The comments hit hard for Shang-Chi star Simu Liu, who took to social media to respond. He said on Twitter that though he respects film veterans like Tarantino and Martin Scorsese, old Hollywood wasn’t diverse. Liu also noted that Marvel isn’t perfect, but said that the studio is diversifying its output.

Here’s what you need to know about the drama …

Hollywood directors’ criticisms of Marvel

Simu Liu in Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Photo: Marvel Studios

It’s not the first time a film director has called out Disney’s superhero production giant. In fact, there’s been plenty of discussion about Marvel Studios and its place in cinema over the last few years after Scorsese made some scathing remarks about superhero films.

The Taxi Driver and The Departed (based on Hong Kong’s Infernal Affairs) director criticised the genre in 2019, telling Empire magazine that superhero films are “not cinema” and compared them to theme park rides.

Although the conversation has died down recently, Tarantino stoked the fire again this week, saying the studio doesn’t make movie stars like the industry used to.

Director Quentin Tarantino poses for photographers upon arrival at the BAFTA Film Awards, in central London, in February 2020. Photo: AP

The Inglourious Basterds filmmaker explained that characters like Captain America (Chris Evans) or Thor (Chris Hemsworth) are what really draw audiences in.