‘It’s hard to make a good movie over and over again’: Marvel star jumps to Kevin Feige’s defense in the wake of MCU criticism

Marvel was the darling of the big screen, the bringer of billions of dollars in profit, the record breaker, but in recent years, the studio has struggled to find its footing. The mega-franchise has faced backlash and criticism over recent films and shows, but one star isn’t having it.

From the late ’00s throughout the ’10s, Marvel dominated theaters across the globe. The superhero franchise blew past all expectations with Iron Man and continued to do so with movie after movie, taking the franchise higher and higher. Sure, not every single movie was a winner—Thor: The Dark World, I’m looking at you—but Marvel was in a role that reached its pinnacle in Avengers: Endgame. Since then, though, the films have been rather hit or miss.

Though there have been some great Marvel films since Endgame, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, there have been plenty of flops, as well. Thor: Love and Thunder failed to impress, The Marvels was one of the lowest-ever box-office earners, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was met with harsh criticism.

In and amongst the division and hate that has sprung up within the fandom, Marvel actor Sebastian Stan, who plays Bucky Barnes in the franchise, has stood up for the studio. In an interview with Variety about his role as Donald Trump in The Apprentice, the actor said,

It’s become really convenient to pick on [Marvel films] and that’s fine. Everyone’s got an opinion. But they’re a big part of what contributes to this business and allows us to have smaller movies as well.

He went on to talk about the benefits that Marvel provides to the industry that no one sees, stating, “This is an artery traveling through the system of this entire machinery that’s Hollywood. It feeds in so many more ways than people acknowledge. Sometimes I get protective of it because the intention is really f*****g good. It’s just f*****g hard to make a good movie over and over again.”

The actor also has Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige’s back, supporting his work ethic and intentions. “I’m someone who has witnessed Kevin Feige as the most selfless man on this planet,” Stan said, “who, despite the enormous success he’s had, has never changed or wavered.”

The studio’s most recent film, Deadpool & Wolverine, was a huge financial success and enjoyed by audiences globally, but the film met with some harsh criticism from critics as well. Stan will appear once again as Bucky Barnes in the much-anticipated Thunderbolts* film, which will arrive in 2025.