It might be hard to put on a happy face after hearing these comments.
Actor and comedian Marc Maron, who plays a character named Ted Marco in the upcoming Joker movie, made some head-turning remarks about Marvel movies, and their fans, during a recent interview with Conan O’Brien.
Maron appeared on Conan to promote Netflix’s acclaimed comedy-drama series GLOW, which recently entered its third season, on which he stars as the gruff but oddly lovable Sam Sylvia. Somewhere in their conversation, the topic shifted to Avengers: Endgame, given many were convinced that Maron played the younger Stan Lee in a cameo appearance and was just being coy about owning up to it. Maron confirmed that it wasn’t him, and admitted that he has some issues with Marvel movies. He then offered his unfiltered thoughts on the superhero genre as a whole as well as the people who enjoy it.
When the Conan audience began to boo, Maron addressed them directly and said that they should accept the criticism, since they’re, quote, “in charge of culture.” He also expressed frustration over the fact that he has to take extra steps to see the movies he wants to, since comic book movie fans always flock to larger theaters and make the filmgoing experience unenjoyable for him.
O’Brien then laughed when asking whether Maron intended to come on the show and alienate a ton of people, which prompted Maron to say that he may have overdone it a little bit.
That wasn’t enough to stop Marvel loyals from going after Maron on social media. It wasn’t long before the actor-comedian again addressed angry fans this time taking things a few steps further. Maron tweeted,
“Hey, Marvel movie fans! Stop acting like outraged religious fanatics defending their belief system. It’s okay if I don’t believe. Let it go. Also, I’m actually [a] big fan of a lot of comic art. Try to relax your mainstream asses.”
He added in another tweet,
“good times doing the troll dance with emotional baby brains. forgot what an exciting waste of time this can be.”
Anyone familiar with Maron will know that this opinion of his didn’t spring out of nowhere. He’s long maintained status as a comic book movie opposer, previously stating during an episode of his podcast W** with Marc Maron,
“[If] I seem slightly condescending to superhero movies and you think that’s rude, I want to tell you this, honestly and from the heart: I will continue to do it. I will continue to condescend to grown-ups who defend, almost maniacally, the integrity and need and greatness of superhero movies.”
Maron also condemned comic book movies for pushing aside what he calls “real dialogue and real human stories” to the point that he feels there are very few movies left being made that are, quote, “provocative and proactive in terms of making you think and making you move forward with your life and seeing things differently.”
What’s interesting about Maron’s remarks is the fact that he himself is in a comic book movie. Granted, the Todd Phillips-directed, Joaquin Phoenix-starring Joker doesn’t outwardly appear like your average comic book adaptation it’s darker, eerier, and evidently tells a very different tale of DC’s Clown Prince of Crime. It appears that Maron eased up on his stance with Joker for that reason plus the fact that starring in the film means that he got to work with Phoenix and Robert De Niro, who plays talk show host Murray Franklin.
Maron went on record in the past to praise Phillips’ vision and affirm that Joker isn’t like other comic book films. Maron told NME in March 2019,
“I’ve been somewhat judgmental when it comes to comic book movies and I’ve got a little pushback in the press for being a hypocrite…Oddly, [Joker is] not that kind of movie. The approach that Todd Phillips has taken is more of an origin story and a character study of a mentally ill person that becomes the Joker. It’s more of an intimate and gritty movie with a very specific scope. It’s going to be really interesting to see how it comes out.”
Superhero films aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. It’s best to live and let live…and prepare for what’s apparently going to be a comic book movie unlike anything you’ve seen before when Joker hits theaters on October 4th.
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