Quentin Tarantino explains why he’ll never do a superhero movie

Lucy-Jo Finnighan
quentin tarantino

Tarantino is known for making bombastic films, but he’ll never do a superhero stint, and he finally explains why.

Superhero movies are dominating Hollywood right now, with anything that features powers and costumes almost guaranteed to sell.

However, these modern films aren’t generally seen as works of auteurship. Sure, we’ve had some big name directors involved, such as Sami Raimi’s stint with Doctor Strange, or even the old rumor that Spielberg would be working on Fantastic Four.

So while a Quentin Tarantino superhero movie would certainly be something interesting – perhaps akin to Watchman? – the director will never do it.

Tarantino “Can’t wait for the day” that the superhero trend ends

Quentin Tarantino has gone on several records to show his disinterest in the recent superhero trend in cinema. In his new book, titled Cinema Speculation, he discuses the trend of movie musicals in the 1960s, and how anti-establishment auteurs rejoiced when that train slowed down. Apparently, he, along with other filmmakers, “can’t wait for the day they can say that about superhero movies.”

When explaining this statement to the , the director said, “The analogy works because it’s a similar chokehold,” but he believes that the superhero domination will be continuing for a while, as “The writing’s not quite on the wall yet the way it was in 1969 when it was, ‘Oh, my God, we just put a bunch of money into things that nobody gives a damn about anymore.'”

According to Tarantino, modern DC and Marvel films are antithetical to auteurs, since any original vision gets sucked out in order to fit the wider brand. “You have to be a hired hand to do those things,” he stated. “I’m not a hired hand. I’m not looking for a job.”

Though, funnily enough, back in the 1990s – before the craze – Tarantino actually had an idea for a Luke Cage movie, with Laurence Fishbourne starring in the lead role.

But it seems like that movie will never come to be. With nine of his planned ten movies already out, Tarantino clearly doesn’t have the time or space to take part in any superhero franchises. We can only wonder if the trend will end before his time as a filmmaker does.

About The Author

Lucy-Jo is a Movies and TV Writer at Dexerto, and has previously written for Screen Rant and Girls on Tops. After earning a Master's Degree in Film and Literature, Lucy-Jo now loves covering films, TV shows, and anime, especially if it's something by Mike Flanagan, or anything drenched in camp. You can contact her at lucyjo.finnighan@dexerto.com