It might be hard to put on a happy face after hearing these comments.
Actor and comedian Marc Maron, who plays a character named Ted Marco in the upcoming
Joker movie, made some head-turning remarks about Marvel movies, and their fans, during
a recent interview with Conan O'Brien.
"I generally don't like them.
Because I don't wanna be bullied into seeing those.
Look, Conan, I'm a grown-up, I'm not seven."
Maron appeared on Conan to promote Netflix's acclaimed comedy-drama series GLOW, which
recently entered its third season, on which he stars as the gruff but oddly lovable Sam
Sylvia.
Somewhere in their conversation, the topic shifted to Avengers: Endgame, given many were
convinced that Maron played the younger Stan Lee in a cameo appearance and was just being
coy about owning up to it.
Maron confirmed that it wasn't him, and admitted that he has some issues with Marvel movies.
He then offered his unfiltered thoughts on the superhero genre as a whole as well as
the people who enjoy it.
"I think those movies are for, you know, grown male nerd childs."
When the Conan audience began to boo, Maron addressed them directly and said that they
should accept the criticism, since they're, quote, "in charge of culture."
He also expressed frustration over the fact that he has to take extra steps to see the
movies he wants to, since comic book movie fans always flock to larger theaters and make
the filmgoing experience unenjoyable for him.
"Now I gotta go travel 15, 20 minutes to a smaller movie theater to see a grown-up movie
with other grown-ups?"
O'Brien then laughed when asking whether Maron intended to come on the show and alienate
a ton of people, which prompted Maron to say that he may have overdone it a little bit.
"I, you know, look, I just don't go see them.
I'm not interested."
"Right."
"That's all."
That wasn't enough to stop Marvel loyals from going after Maron on social media.
It wasn't long before the actor-comedian again addressed angry fans this time taking things
a few steps further.
Maron tweeted,
"Hey, Marvel movie fans!
Stop acting like outraged religious fanatics defending their belief system.
It's okay if I don't believe.
Let it go.
Also, I'm actually [a] big fan of a lot of comic art.
Try to relax your mainstream asses."
He added in another tweet,
"good times doing the troll dance with emotional baby brains.
forgot what an exciting waste of time this can be."
Anyone familiar with Maron will know that this opinion of his didn't spring out of nowhere.
He's long maintained status as a comic book movie opposer, previously stating during an
episode of his podcast WTF with Marc Maron,
"[If] I seem slightly condescending to superhero movies and you think that's rude, I want to
tell you this, honestly and from the heart: I will continue to do it.
I will continue to condescend to grown-ups who defend, almost maniacally, the integrity
and need and greatness of superhero movies."
Maron also condemned comic book movies for pushing aside what he calls "real dialogue
and real human stories" to the point that he feels there are very few movies left being
made that are, quote, "provocative and proactive in terms of making you think and making you
move forward with your life and seeing things differently."
What's interesting about Maron's remarks is the fact that he himself is in a comic book
movie.
Granted, the Todd Phillips-directed, Joaquin Phoenix-starring Joker doesn't outwardly appear
like your average comic book adaptation it's darker, eerier, and evidently tells a very
different tale of DC's Clown Prince of Crime.
It appears that Maron eased up on his stance with Joker for that reason plus the fact that
starring in the film means that he got to work with Phoenix and Robert De Niro, who
plays talk show host Murray Franklin.
Maron went on record in the past to praise Phillips' vision and affirm that Joker isn't
like other comic book films.
Maron told NME in March 2019,
"I've been somewhat judgmental when it comes to comic book movies and I've got a little
pushback in the press for being a hypocrite…Oddly, [Joker is] not that kind of movie.
The approach that Todd Phillips has taken is more of an origin story and a character
study of a mentally ill person that becomes the Joker.
It's more of an intimate and gritty movie with a very specific scope.
It's going to be really interesting to see how it comes out."
Superhero films aren't everyone's cup of tea.
It's best to live and let live…and prepare for what's apparently going to be a comic
book movie unlike anything you've seen before when Joker hits theaters on October 4th.
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