Fresh from the box office failure of his own comic book adaptation Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, French filmmaker Luc Besson has been sharing his thoughts on the superhero genre, revealing that he’s become bored of the films, and feels that the Captain America franchise in particular is little more than “propaganda”.
“Totally tired of it,” said Besson when asked by CinePop what he makes of the superhero movie craze. “It was great 10 years ago when we see the first Spider-Man and Iron Man. But now, it’s like number five, six, seven; the superhero is working with another superhero, but it’s not the same family. I’m lost. But what bothers me most is it’s always here to show the supremacy of America and how they are great. I mean, which country in the world would have the guts to call a film ‘Captain Brazil’ or ‘Captain France?’ I mean, no one! We would be like so ashamed and say, ‘No, no, come on, we can’t do that.’ They can. They can call it ‘Captain America,’ and everybody think it normal. I’m not here for propaganda, I’m here to tell a story.”
SEE ALSO: The Most Disappointing: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
What do you make of Besson’s comments? Are you getting tired of superhero movies, or is he wide of the mark with his remarks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
In the 28th century,Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two embark on a mission to the astonishing city of Alpha—an ever-expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence and cultures with each other. There is a mystery at the center of Alpha, a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets features a cast that includes Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, John Goodman, Herbie Hancock, Sam Spruell, Rutger Hauer, John Goodman, Elizabeth Debicki and Kris Wu.
Originally published August 12, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
