Despite the almost inevitable success that both Star Wars and Marvel films seem to bring their directors, Kevin Smith wants no part in directing a movie in either universe. The two Disney-owned franchises are both full of life recently, as Marvel is in the midst of Phase 4 and Star Wars is currently streaming Andor. Smith has small connections with both franchises as he has small cameos in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker along with having Stan Lee reading the script for Mallrats in Captain Marvel.
As if the notoriety of being attached to these franchises was not enough, these films are almost always a box office success. The Star Wars franchise is coming off of a high with its Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries, with its first episode garnering 6.2 million total viewers on its first day, and its finale boasting a five-day audience of 1.8 million American households. Marvel is showing no signs of faltering either, as it is the highest-grossing franchise ever with just north of $27 billion in box office earnings. The upward financial trajectory of the franchise does not seem to be going anywhere, especially with Phase 5 coming in hot off the heels of the highly anticipated release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Given the apparent popularity of the franchises to this day, it is surprising that the Clerks III director could make a statement so blatant and honest. Without pulling his punches, Smith tells The Guardian that he has no interest in the fame that the franchise could bring, and that he values telling a story that only he can tell. He plans on remaining just as a fan of both universes. Check out his quote below:
"Going near a Marvel or a Star Wars would make me insanely reticent. They’ve got a billion people to make those movies, but nobody’s making Kevin Smith movies, so I might as well make them."
Star Wars & Marvel Fans Frequently Criticize the Movies
The caveat of these movies bringing in the viewership that they do is there is a higher probability of bringing in critics. Smith got a taste of this with his being attached to Masters of the Universe, but assumes the backlash would go up proportionally with the increased viewership. A great example of this was with the new Star Wars trilogy, with The Force Awakens being too similar to a New Hope for fans, and then the corrected The Last Jedi being too far from the source material. Fans of these franchises often grow up with the material, and will take particular offense when the films are not executed to perfection, deterring some, Smith included, from wanting to poke that bear.
Though money talks, it is not often enough for some to sacrifice their vision. Given his statement, it seems Smith prefers to tell his own stories, rather than a billion-dollar franchise and a chance at fame and glory. Star Wars and Marvel films tend to lean more towards the spectacle than the story, which is great for fans looking for an experience in the theater, but perhaps not so great for directors who want to deliver a certain message. And if we have learned anything from the likes of Dogma and Tusk, it is that Kevin Smith definitely has a message in mind when creating his films.
Source: The Guardian
