Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance Director’s Blunt Thoughts About The MCU Movies

Ghost Rider on his bike

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an ever expanding place. And while Marvel Studios has some great TV content out right now, it's perhaps best known for the massive blockbusters that arrive every few months to take over the box office. The shared universe has been doing world building for nearly a decade, and the first three phases of films will soon come to a head with The Russo Brothers' Infinity War and Avengers 4. While MCU's movies are consistently met with critical acclaim, one former Marvel director isn't a fan. Brian Taylor co-directed Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance for Columbia in 2011, and has some blunt thoughts about the massive shared universe.

The Marvel [Studios] movies, I just don't understand at all. I have to be honest, they seem very long to me. I've got to be careful the way I say this. I just don't get them. I'm kind of bored with them and I just don't find them particularly entertaining. I think they're really well made in terms of craft. The action is really good. They're technically really great. They have a lot of actors that I love. But I just don't get it.

Well, that was honest. While Brian Taylor seems to appreciate the technical skill needed to produce the movies, it seems like they fail to actually capture his attention at all. While millions of people flock to the movie theaters to see each new Marvel installment, Taylor simply doesn't get the appeal.

Brian Taylor's comments to Comic Book seem to go against the common conception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the blockbusters have been criticized for having poorly written villains, the films are usually critical hits. Indeed, every single film from Phase Three has been met with positive critical reaction, starting with Captain America: Civil War and through Thor: Ragnarok. Black Panther is just a few months away, but certainly has the director and all-star cast to keep the momentum going as well.

Of course, Brian Taylor isn't the only Hollywood presence who isn't fond of superhero movies. This includes Star Wars' Mark Hamill, who believes superhero movies are becoming oversaturated. Even Logan director James Mangold has voiced his problems with superhero blockbusters, which he believes are more like trailers for the future than actual stories. Finally, Margot Robbie recently spoke to the downside of appearing in these films, as the rabid fandom can sometimes be truly terrifying.

Alas, it doesn't look like superhero movies are going anywhere, so Brian Taylor will just have to grin and bare it. Now let's see if Ghost Rider eventually makes its way to the silver screen again, to add insult to injury.

The nest installment in the MCU is Black Panther on February 16th, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies this year.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.