Sally Field, who actually starred as Aunt May in The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, walked away from the experience hating superhero movies. Leonardo DiCaprio actually has a strict rule against them: “no hard drugs, no superhero movies”. And then, Mel Gibson once told Deadline that Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman was “a piece of s**t”.
Despite their impact on audiences over the last few decades, not every actor is jumping up and down to put on the cape and tights. These ten Hollywood actors have made it very clear that they just don’t get the superhero movie hype.
Sally Field — The Only One Who Survived a Franchise and Still Said No
Sally Field really didn’t enjoy her time as Aunt May in Sony’s Amazing Spider-Man flicks. In fact, during a 2016 interview with Howard Stern, Field let out her frustration: “It’s really hard to find a three-dimensional character in it. You work it as much as you can, but you can’t put ten pounds of s**t in a five-pound bag.”
What makes Field’s take different from everyone else on this list is that she actually gave it a shot and appeared in one of the most popular superhero movies. Twice, actually. She appeared in both films before Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man franchise was canned by Sony.
Still, the actress came away thinking the whole enterprise was structurally broken. She’s not judging the genre from the cheap seats, either. She had the keys, she drove the car, and she’s telling you the engine is bad.
Mel Gibson — Called Batman v Superman “a Piece of S**t” and Stood by It
Mel Gibson has some pretty strong opinions on the superhero franchise…and none of them are positive.
After specifically calling out Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman as “a piece of s**t” when discussing film expenses with Deadline, he went on to say, “I’m not interested in the stuff. Do you know what the difference between real superheroes and comic book superheroes is? Real superheroes didn’t wear spandex. So I don’t know. Spandex must cost a lot.”
Leonardo DiCaprio — He Has an Actual Rule Against It
Even with a very diverse filmography to his name, Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio has never starred in a superhero film…and he even has a rule against it.
According to Timothée Chalamet, DiCaprio’s co-star in Don’t Look Up, the acclaimed actor had given him some pretty important career advice: “No hard drugs and no superhero movies.” It’s absolutely a guideline that Leo himself has stuck to, although he has said that he would be open to the idea of a superhero flick if the character and story were right.
Jeremy Allen White — Got Told “F**k You” By a Marvel Exec and Didn’t Blink
Rumours have been flying that Marvel Studios is interested in casting Jeremy Allen White in one of its upcoming movies. But as excited as fans may be, there’s no guarantee that The Bear actor would even be interested in the role.
White has already exchanged words with execs over a “Marvel-y movie” role he was offered, being told “f-ck you” after querying why he should be in the film. He is also on record saying, “I am confused at how the pinnacle of an actor’s career has ended up in that place,” referring to superhero films. He went on to say, “They get really good filmmakers to do those movies and obviously they get really good actors to do those movies…I played it the way I wanted to play it.”
The fact that Marvel apparently wanted him enough to approach him, but couldn’t answer that basic question to his satisfaction, says a lot about how these studios actually operate.
Jodie Foster — “Hopefully People Will Be Sick of It Soon”
Jodie Foster has pretty strong thoughts on superhero films. In a 2023 interview with Elle magazine, the Oscar-winning actress expressed her dislike for the genre, saying, “It’s a phase. It’s a phase that’s lasted a little too long for me, but it’s a phase, and I’ve seen so many different phases. Hopefully people will be sick of it soon.”
Emily Blunt — Was Offered Black Widow and Turned It Down Without Regret
Emily Blunt missed out on the opportunity to join the MCU as the ruthless, efficient, and exceptionally skilled Black Widow back in the early days of the Iron Man franchise. But as much as Marvel fans have wanted her to join the superhero universe ever since (considering all the Sue Storm fan casting), she has made it clear that this genre is just not for her.
“I love Iron Man, and when I got offered Black Widow, I was obsessed with Iron Man,” the actress admitted during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show. “I wanted to work with Robert Downey Jr. It would’ve been amazing. But I don’t know if superhero movies are for me. They’re not up my alley. I don’t like them. I really don’t.”
Simon Pegg — Thinks Superhero Movies Are “Dumbing Down” Society
Simon Pegg seems to be very concerned about the “dumbing down” of society, all thanks to the domination of superhero films.
“We’re essentially all consuming very childish things – comic books, superheroes… Adults are watching this stuff, and taking it seriously,” the actor told Radio Times in 2015. “It is a kind of dumbing down because it’s taking our focus away from real-world issues. Films used to be about challenging, emotional journeys. Now we’re really not thinking about anything other than the fact that the Hulk just had a fight with a robot.”
Sean Penn — Says Marvel Has “Taken Up” the Careers of Too Many Talented People
Sean Penn has been on screens for over four decades now, and while the Academy Award winner once considered taking on a superhero movie, he is now at a place where he believes these types of films aren’t for him.
In a 2021 interview, the star of Mystic River pointed out that Marvel films have “taken up the space and claimed so much time in the careers of so many talented people”. He went on to say that he doesn’t like “just razzle-dazzle, Cirque de Soleil films” in movies.
Jason Statham — Hollywood’s Greatest Action Star Has Zero Interest in a Cape
Jason Statham is easily one of the coolest action stars in Hollywood. It’s not hard to imagine him beating up bad guys in a superhero film. But the English actor isn’t eager to put on any type of superhero costume.
In a 2023 interview with Variety, Statham clarified his disinterest in superhero films, saying, “I don’t have a big appetite for a costume, with cape and tights.” The actor also shared his preference for “old-school ’80s movies” like those starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Jacob Elordi — Gets “Restless” Watching Superhero Films and Isn’t Hiding It
Despite being an upcoming star to watch in the film industry, Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi does not see himself acting in any superhero films anytime soon.
“I’ve always been told to say a rounded answer or my agent will get mad at me. ‘Anything can happen,’” the young actor told GQ. “And obviously anything can happen, but at this stage in my life, I don’t see myself having any interest in that. I like to make what I would watch, and I get very restless watching those movies.”
So Are Superhero Movies Ruining Hollywood?
All ten of these actors are basically saying a variation of the same thing really: franchise cinema has taken over Hollywood. Of course the genre’s defenders will point to the huge box office numbers and would probably argue that superhero films have saved movie theaters again and again. The genre’s critics will probably point to this list, however. Both are actually right, which is exactly what makes it interesting.
