There seems to be no end in sight for the feud between Martin Scorsese and Marvel Studios. At the recently concluded Hollywood Film Awards that concluded last Sunday, the ongoing debate was once again up for discussion as the director’s movie, The Irishman, was nominated for a number of awards, even as Avengers: End Game won the Best Blockbuster award.
Martin Scorcese had previously made a comment about Marvel movies that "They turn cinemas into theme parks. They’re not cinema, they’re something else. And we shouldn’t be invaded by them" were brought up a number of times, especially in an acceptance speech by Marvel star, Mark Ruffalo.
The award ceremony, which kicked off this year's award season, was hosted by comedian Rob Riggle. Avengers: Endgame won the Best Blockbuster Award and Riggle joked "And here to present the award is Martin Scorsese," before Mark Ruffalo walked up instead to give the award to Marvel Studios head Kevin Fiege and Marvel Studios Executive Vice President of Production, Victoria Alonso.
Ruffalo gave a speech that, while not addressing Scorsese by name, clearly was intended as a rebuttal to the director's comments.
The actor explained "The team at Marvel Studios did something that brought the whole world together. It's not something you can do with just spectacle alone, by the way, but there's plenty of that," he said onstage. "What really speaks to people about these movies, I think, is the heart and humanity of characters, that’s what makes Avengers: Endgame so powerful to witness — these characters that care about and reckon with the world around them ... to watch them struggle and survive and sometimes even say goodbye. That’s what makes it cinema."