Batman Begins and all-around movie star Liam Neeson has joined the camp of actors and filmmakers not too fond of superhero movies. However, when faced with the fact that he was instrumental in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, he did not shy away from distinguishing those films from Marvel and other DC productions.
The debate surrounding the superhero film genre was initially sparked by Martin Scorsese's famous editorial, written at the peak of Marvel Studios' domination of the movie industry. Since then, even Quentin Tarantino has chimed in, with some MCU actors offering a contrasting opinion, like the latter’s good friend Samuel L. Jackson. Neeson has gone on to become a verified action hero, although a recent interview makes it clear he’s taking Batman's side on this discussion about cinema.
In a Rolling Stone interview, Neeson maintains his signature frankness, saying, “All these superhero movies? I’m not a fan. I’m really not. I admire them because it’s Hollywood with all their bells and whistles and technology, which is phenomenal, but they all seem to me to be just the same story.” Neeson then addressed his part in helping comic book icons like Batman enter the mainstream cinema. As far as Neeson is concerned, Nolan's films are different because “They had a noir feel to them. And Chris Bale and Gary Oldman? Come on! What a cast. And Michael [Caine] and Morgan [Freeman]? My god!" So, Neeson thinks The Dark Knight Trilogy is in a league of its own.
Coincidentally, Neeson seems to have a knack for starring in the first entries of massively popular franchises. His role in Episode I: The Phantom Menace is still beloved by many fans, even if Neeson thinks Star Wars is ruined by producing too much content. As if those two franchises weren’t enough, in the same interview, Neeson said he turned down the chance to play James Bond at his late wife’s request, summing up the situation as receiving “a James Bond ultimatum.”
Neeson even addressed his Atlanta cameo in a surreal episode that poked fun at the controversy he found himself into after making some racially charged comments in 2019. Overall, Neeson has a point, as many argue that Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy includes some of the best superhero movies ever made. However, he didn’t comment on Matt Reeves' The Batman.
While his Batman co-star Christian Bale starred in Thor 4, do not count on seeing Neeson join the MCU, regardless of how much he loved playing Ra's al Ghul 18 years ago.
Batman Begins is available on HBO Max.
Source: Rolling Stone