Quentin Tarantino Says Marvel Filmmakers are Just “Hired Hands”

With their fast-paced action and devoted fanbases, there’s a bit of overlap in the Venn diagram between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Quentin Tarantino movies. But, unsurprisingly, the filmmaker has no interest making the leap to superhero projects, saying in a new interview with the LA Times that he thinks directors in the MCU are just “hired hands” in need of a quick gig.

“You have to be a hired hand to do those things,” Tarantino said. “I’m not a hired hand. I’m not looking for a job.”

According to what the Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood director writes in his new book Cinema Speculation, today’s filmmakers “can’t wait for the day” that superhero movies are no longer en vogue, likening it to the same reaction some directors in the 1960s had when studio musicals were declining in popularity: “The analogy works because it’s a similar chokehold,” Tarantino added.

But, on a slightly more reasonable note, Tarantino also acknowledged that he doesn’t think Marvel would allow him to make his “type of film” on a blockbuster budget. That doesn’t mean he writes those off completely, however: “Of course, I liked Star Wars. What’s not to like?” he explained. “But I remember — and this is not a ‘but’ in a negative way, but in a good way. The movie completely carried me along and I was just rocking and rolling with these characters….When the lights came on, I felt like a million dollars. And I looked around and had this moment of recognition, thinking, ‘Wow! What a time at the movies!’”

Tarantino continued: “Now, that’s not necessarily my favorite exact type of film… At the end of the day, I’m more of a Close Encounters [of the Third Kind] guy, just the bigger idea and Spielberg setting out to make an epic for regular people, not just cinephiles. Few films had the kind of climax that Close Encounters had. It blew audiences away.”

Cinema Speculation is on sale now, and its author also just began a book tour; The San Francisco and New York dates are on sale at Ticketmaster, and you can grab tickets to the rest here. If you’re more of a screen person, you can revisit our ranking of all Tarantino’s films from worst to best.