Nelson, who reprises his role from the Incredible Hulk as Samuel Sterns, aka The Leader, in Captain America: Brave New World, discussed Marvel’s importance to the industry while speaking with TheWrap at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Also shared his position. about the long-running debate over the cinematography of superhero movies.
“Marvel has become an unprecedented phenomenon in the history of cinema,” Nelson explained. “These dozens of videos with characters coming in and out of each other, coming together, separating, fighting each other in a universe — that’s never happened in video before. When other people attack those movies by saying, ‘Well, it’s not genuine cinema’ or ‘It’s the death of cinema,’ I think that helps keep cinema alive, and I literally do. “
The debate surrounding the MCU began in 2019 when director Martin Scorcese shared his opinion that Marvel movies are “not cinema,” prompting several Hollywood icons to come to the defense of the franchise, including James Gunn, Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman, Taika Waititi, Kevin Feige, Bob Iger and many more.