Samuel L. Jackson responds to Quentin Tarantino Marvel comments

Samuel L. Jackson is challenging his Pulp Fiction director over his anti-Marvel comments.

Quentin Tarantino, 59, recently made a controversial statement about “Marvelizing Hollywood,” claiming that Marvel actors aren’t movie stars.

“Part of the Marvelization of Hollywood is … there are all these actors who have become famous playing these characters. But they are not movie stars. Right?” Tarantino said on the 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast. “Captain America is the star. Or Thor is the star. I mean, I’m not the first to say that. I think it’s been said a thousand times …but it’s like, you know, it’s those franchise characters that become stars.”

When he appeared in The View, Jackson — who is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — responded to Tarantino’s comments and clapped back at the idea that these actors weren’t movie stars.

“It takes an actor to be these special characters,” said Jackson, 73. “And the movie star’s mark has always been, huh, butts on seats? What are we talking about?”

Jackson specifically referenced the late Chadwick Boseman – whose film Black Panther was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars – as well as Scarlett Johansson.

“It’s not much of a controversy for me to know that these actors are movie stars. Chadwick Boseman is Black Panther. There’s no disputing that, and he’s a movie star,” he said.

Jackson and Tarantino have collaborated on films such as Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, and Django Unchained.

Jackson first appeared in the MCU in 1998 as Nick Fury in Iron Man. Since then, he has appeared in other films such as Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man Far From Home, and more To appear in The Marvels in 2023.

But Jackson isn’t the first Marvel star to criticize Tarantino’s comments.

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” star Simu Liu took it with him Twitter last week to gossip back at the filmmaker.

“If Tarantino and Scorsese were the only gatekeepers to movie stardom, I never would have had the opportunity to direct a $400+ million film,” he tweeted. “I’m in awe of their filmmaking genius. They are transcendent authors. But they can’t point their noses at me or anyone.”