Seth Rogen explains his concerns about working with DC or Marvel: “We’re control freaks”
In 2008, audiences flocked to cinemas to see Robert Downey Jr as the genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist Tony Stark. Iron Man took in hundreds of millions at the box office, kickstarting the money-making phenomenon of the modern superhero movie. Less than two decades later, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is worth billions. It’s one of the biggest movie franchises in the world, but it’s also one of the most divisive.
Since the success of Iron Man, the MCU has produced 33 more blockbusting superhero flicks in just 16 years, an average of just over two a year. Each one follows a very similar formula: excessive use of CGI, uninteresting action sequences, family-friendly comedy, and posters with enough colours and characters to give you a headache. The star-studded films have won over hordes of fans who queue up for midnight screenings of each new offering, but not everyone has been taken in by the MCU.
Many film buffs have voiced their dislike for the studio’s prioritisation of profit over creativity, critiquing the broader impact this has had on contemporary cinema. From Timothée Chalamet to Bong Joon-ho, some of the biggest names in the industry have declared that they will never work within the superhero genre. One of the more surprising names on that list is Seth Rogen.
It’s fairly easy to imagine Rogen making a comedic cameo in one of the more playful entries into the MCU. The actor made a name for himself in the comedy realm through early films like Superbad and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Although his acting filmography is mostly devoid of superhero flicks, it’s much easier to imagine Rogen appearing in a Guardians of the Galaxy flick than Chalamet.
In his production work, in particular, Rogen has shown an interest in superheroes and comic book adaptations. He created Preacher based on the comic book of the same name and currently produces the superhero series The Boys. However, Rogen has quelled any hopes that he might work with a larger studio on these endeavours.
During a conversation with Polygon, Rogen admitted his concerns about how his style of working would fit in with the systems at Marvel or DC. “We really have a pretty specific way we work,” he explained. “Me and Evan have been writers for 20 years at this point. It’s a fear of the process, honestly. And I say that knowing nothing about the process.”
It seems that Rogen doesn’t necessarily hate the MCU in the same way that some of his peers do. In fact, he admitted that he loves a lot of things about the studio, but he struggles to see how they would “plug into the system they have in place” without getting frustrated. “We’re control freaks!” he joked.
The comedian’s critique isn’t anywhere near as biting as those who have suggested that Marvel and DC are destroying modern cinema, but it does hinge on the same argument. The formula at MCU is undeniably limiting to creatives, relying on a tried and tested but ultimately uninspired formula that guarantees box office success.
This approach may have worked for the studio over the last 15 years or so, but it seems to be running out of time. Actors and directors aren’t looking to work with studios who will box them in creatively, and, unlike more interesting offerings like The Boys, those recycled stories are losing their appeal with audiences.
