‘The Boys’ showrunner says Marvel movies are to blame for Trump’s election

"I think it's conditioning people the wrong way"

The Boys‘ showrunner Eric Kripke has said that Marvel movies can be “dangerous” and suggested they may be partly to blame for Donald Trump and the rise of populism.

The Amazon Prime Video series has been praised by fans for satirising the superhero genre, though its boss has argued that superhero films in the Marvel canon have conditioned people to the point where something like Trump’s election was possible.

“People might be surprised to know this, but I’m actually a fan of the Marvel stuff,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

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“The filmmaking is often impeccable. I actually really enjoy the humorous tone that a lot of them are written in. They’re snarky and fast and glib and I like that style. My issue with them are not the movies themselves, but that there’s too many of them overall.”

Doctor Strange
‘Avengers: Infinity War’

He further explained: “I sort of believe it’s dangerous, not to overstate it or be overdramatic, but it’s a little dangerous to train an entire generation to wait for someone strong to come in and save you.

“That’s I think how you end up with people like Trump and populists who say, ‘I’m the only one who can come in, it’s going to be me.’ And I think in the way that pop-culture conditions people subtly, I think it’s conditioning them the wrong way — because there’s just too much of it.

“So I think it’s nice to have a corrective, at least a small one in us, to say, ‘They’re not coming to save you. Hold your family together and save yourselves.'”

The Boys season 2 episode 5
The Seven face even more problems in ‘The Boys’ season two. Credit: Prime Video

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Kripke isn’t the only individual who has levelled some criticism at Marvel films, with filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese taking aim at the series last year by saying they lack “revelation, mystery or genuine emotional danger”.

However, the likes of James Gunn and Jon Favreau, as well as numerous Marvel stars, came to Marvel’s defence.

While Kripke has criticised the possible link between Marvel and populism, the stars of the Avengers series have assembled together to raise money for Trump’s Democratic rival in the upcoming US Presidential election, Joe Biden.

The ‘Voters Assemble!’ event will take place tomorrow (October 20) and include the likes of Chris Evans, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana alongside Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris, and Endgame directors the Russo Brothers for a Q&A and trivia.

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