Kevin Smith has once again addressed whether he would be interested in joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a director. The filmmaker has many ties to Marvel, with Stan Lee cameoing in his film, Mallrats, and Smith himself showing up in Daredevil, among other connections. Though Smith is an outspoken Marvel fan and has written for Marvel Comics before, he’s not been shy about his apprehensions about getting involved with such a major franchise.
Discussing his latest comic collaboration with Collider, Smith also opened up about why he has no desire to direct an MCU film. He explained: “Everyone’s like, ‘Do you want to make a Marvel movie?’ F*cking never. What in my body of work has ever made anyone think, ‘He’d be good for that sort of visual spectacle.”‘ Smith continued: “I’m put on this Earth to make Kevin Smith movies, if anything, and most critics will argue that I’m not even put on this earth to do that. But nobody wants to make Kevin Smith movies except me, so that’s my lane, and I love staying in it.
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Alternatively, Smith is open to acting in the franchise. He clarified: “If [Marvel] was like, “We want you to play … anybody. One scene — a f*cking bad guy, a good guy.” Oh my god […] That’s what I’d be more interested in. Because that would be fun, and none of the responsibility would be mine.“
Previously, Smith gave a similar answer when discussing directing a major franchise film. Way back in 2022, the filmmaker explained:
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.
As for his comments regarding starring in an MCU project, Smith did shed some light on his perspective in his trademark irreverent way. He stated: “Visiting some mega-budget set and getting to be in that motherf*cker […] means I get to go to a con, and it be like, ‘You saw him in Thor 5!’ And then, ‘Hey, it’s me!’ That’d be good for me. Because then I’d work until I die, right? I’d always have that sweet con money.” While that joke is a tad jaded, Smith makes a point when saying an MCU role could come with notoriety without the pressure of directing.
For better or worse, Smith exists in a niche all his own, which has won him a dedicated fanbase. If he wants creative control and a low-pressure environment, then continuing to write, direct, and produce his films is the better lane for him to go down. Besides, he said it well: the MCU still has plenty of writers and directors who would love the opportunity.
