Over the past decade of filmmaking, the superhero genre has become the most popular and profitable in filmmaking. Plenty of studios are getting in on the action with their own cinematic universe, leading to a plethora of comic book adaptations. While there has been fear over "superhero fatigue", certain projects have been able to bring something wholly unique to the table. Todd Phillips' Joker looks like one of those movies, but actor Marc Maron doesn't seem to be a fan of the genre, or the fans who love it.
Marc Maron is perhaps best known for his podcast WTF with Marc Maron, but he's also had some notable acting gigs, like his role in Netflix's GLOW (which recently premiered its second season.) Maron will play Ted Marco in Joker, Arthur Fleck's agent in the upcoming psychological drama/origin story. But he recently spoke about his disinterest in the superhero genre as a whole, saying:
I have some issues with them and I generally don't like them. I don't wanna be bullied into seeing those movies. I'm a grown-up, I'm not seven, and I think those movies are for grown, male nerd childs.
Yikes. Despite appearing in Todd Phillips' upcoming movie about a comic book villain, Marc Maron has an issue with the genre, and the passionate fans who consistently shell out their time and money for each new blockbuster.
Marc Maron's comments come from his recent appearance on Conan. During that segment, host Conan O'Brien asked him about the comic book genre, where the podcast host/actor didn't mince his words about his issues. It seems that he's largely disinterested in seeing comic book movies, and doesn't want to be bullied into the moviegoing experience through advertising and interpersonal conversation. Well, it must have been hard to avoid Avengers: Endgame talk when the blockbuster first hit theaters.
Related: Joaquin Phoenix Was Originally Fearful Of Playing The Joker
The part of his comments that fans might take umbrage with is his believes about what age is appropriate to be a superhero fan. Marc Maron maintains that he's too old to watch each new comic book blockbuster. What's more, he goes on to refer to the rabid fanbase as "male nerd childs". But it's this core group of fans that Maron and the Joker cast/crew will need to get on board of the upcoming blockbuster is going to have legs at the box office.
Considering just how profitable the superhero genre has become, it's also clear that there isn't one type of audience member attending these movies. Comic book movies appeal to a wide range of moviegoers, making insane box office numbers in the process.
You can see Marc Maron's appearance on Conan below.
These comments are likely going to rub both comic book fans and casual moviegoers the wrong way, so it should be interesting to see if there's any fall out. On the other hand, Marc Maron is known for his biting sense of humor, and his rant/bit ended up cracking Conan O'Brien up during the segment. So there's also the possibility that he's simply joking about the whole thing.
Regardless, Marc Maron will make his superhero movie debut when Joker arrives in theaters October 4th, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
