Steven Spielberg is easily one of the greatest directors of all time, but he has a surprising favorite when it comes to superhero movies. Spielberg has been making movies since the 1970s, and he’s been a mᴀssive part of pop culture – even a good friend to George Lucas. Even Spielberg underestimated the success of Star Wars, of course.
Given Spielberg’s enduring influence, it’s no surprise that he’s made quite a few comments on the superhero movies we’ve seen dominate the box office over the last decade. He has a deep understanding of the film industry, and he knows exactly what he likes – even though I admit his tastes surprised me.
Steven Spielberg Has Praised Several Superhero Movies
He Has Named Four Favorites
Because of the nature of Marvel films and the superhero genre in general, some people in the industry don’t consider the MCU to be substantial work. They see Marvel as a monopoly that focuses on getting projects out rather than creating meaningful stories. Although there have definitely been some MCU projects that feel lackluster, it’s simply untrue to put the whole franchise under that umbrella.
Among Hollywood’s most acclaimed directors, Spielberg has been one that has publicly praised some superhero films. While he believes that there will be a time when the superhero genre dies down, it’s just the nature of how the film industry works. He’s still a fan of the genre and named a few of his favorite superhero films while speaking to Brazilian website Omlete in 2016.
Spielberg named Richard Donner’s Superman, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, and Jon Favreau’s Iron Man as the superhero films he enjoys. Those three тιтles being on his list are no surprise, as all of the films are among the top 10 of Rotten Tomatoes’s list of best superhero movies of all time. However, one MCU project gets the honor of being the best of the lot in his view.
One MCU Movie Has The Honor Of Being The Superhero Film That Spielberg Said “Impressed Me Most”
Guardians Of The Galaxy Is A Beloved MCU Film
Spielberg named Guardians of the Galaxy as the superhero film that impressed him the most. The 2014 MCU film starred Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel as the тιтular group of heroes. Directed by James Gunn, the mismatched misfits quickly became one of the MCU’s most beloved groups.
In his Omlete interview, Spielberg said that watching the first Guardians movie had him leaving the theater as if he saw something new. For a genre that can admittedly get formulaic at times, Guardians was the breath of fresh air that the MCU needed. It was a risky project for Marvel to invest in that ultimately paid off.
The Academy Award-winning director also liked that Guardians of the Galaxy didn’t take itself too seriously. It had its fair share of dark and depressing moments, but the film was well aware of its comedic tone. It didn’t try too hard to be funny, yet didn’t try too hard to be a film that it wasn’t.
Why Steven Spielberg’s Comments About Guardians Of The Galaxy Make Total Sense
The Film Came At The Right Time For The MCU
Most casual MCU fans had no idea who the Guardians of the Galaxy were prior to the movie’s release; Marvel took a gamble in making a film that features a largely unknown group. However, the lack of expectations for the Guardians is what helped it feel new, just as Spielberg described.
The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is one of the rare MCU properties that has no weak links. Every film in the trilogy has been spectacular, and although Spielberg had no way of knowing about the trilogy’s success at the time, he clearly saw something special in Gunn’s project. Spielberg’s comments on Guardians are incredibly similar to the reasons why MCU fans love the film.
Guardians of the Galaxy came at the right time for the MCU. Fans had already spent a few years with the core Avengers, and it was time for the franchise to start introducing some new characters. The Guardians were the perfect choice, and the film was largely responsible for the influx of new MCU fans, including Spielberg.
