When you think of filmmakers working today in terms of teams, one of the easiest ways to separate them is by their public statements about Marvel films. (Yes, this is reductive, but it’s sadly quite true.) There are folks like Martin Scorsese who famously called out Marvel and franchise filmmaking in general as detrimental to the art of cinema. And often, we put Christopher Nolan in that group as well, considering he is someone who is old-school in his methodology (shooting on film, practical effects, etc…) and philosophy. But in actuality, as revealed in a recent New York Times interview, Christopher Nolan has nothing bad to say about Marvel. In fact, he considers Marvel Studios as a savior of the industry after COVID.
The NYT interview features Christopher Nolan and one of his “Oppenheimer” stars, Robert Downey, Jr., talking about their Oscar-nominated feature. And as has been the case quite a bit in awards season, the questions come around to how Downey, Jr. and Nolan met. More specifically, how they came about working together. We already know they met before “Batman Begins,” as RDJ was considered for a role in the film. But it took more than a decade for them to finally make the time to work together. And according to Nolan, it was all thanks to Downey, Jr.’s role as Iron Man. As a matter of fact, the whole industry should thank Marvel Studios for casting him.
“No, the truth is, I think Jon Favreau casting Robert as Tony Stark is one of the most significant and consequential casting decisions in Hollywood history,” said Nolan. “It wound up defining our industry. Coming out of Covid, you say, ‘Thank God for Marvel movies.’ And it’s one of those where, in retrospect, everybody thinks it was obvious. But he took an enormous risk casting [Downey, Jr.] in that role.”
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We all know the story of Robert Downey, Jr. landing the role of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, for the first “Iron Man” movie. Favreau was really into the idea of bringing him in, but Marvel was concerned about the actor’s previous controversies (including jail time). However, Favreau won out, and RDJ would go on to lead the biggest franchise in the history of cinema.
Now, Nolan believes that casting decision changed the film industry forever, and he believes Marvel Studios is responsible for saving the industry after COVID nearly destroyed theatrical releasing. So, it would appear that Nolan is Team Marvel. And while it’s unlikely he’ll ever direct anything for the studio, it’s clear the filmmaker has an appreciation for the work the studio has done for the industry that he loves.
