Photo : Frazer Harrison ( Getty Images )

In the exhausting ongoing debate over the value (or lack thereof) of Marvel movies, one man has emerged as the voice of reason: Parasite director Bong Joon-ho. The South Korean filmmaker behind one of the best films of the year has broken his silence on the senseless controversy that is threatening to destroy the very delicate fabric of Film Twitter’s reality . During an in-depth interview with Variety, Director Bong was asked to weigh-in on Martin Scorsese’s comments about Marvel movies, and he offered perhaps the best and most reasonable response yet. “I have so much respect for Scorsese and Coppola, and I grew up studying their films,” said Director Bong. “ So I fully understand the context of their comments and I respect their opinion.” However, he went on to note that he’s an admirer of films like Guardians Of The Galaxy and Logan, which have “great cinematic moments.”




When asked if he’d ever direct a Marvel movie, Director Bong revealed that he has a very specific psychological hang-up that prevents him from doing so:

I have a personal problem. I respect the creativity that goes into superhero films, but in real life and in movies, I can’t stand people wearing tight-fitting clothes. I’ll never wear something like that, and just seeing someone in tight clothes is mentally difficult. I don’t know where to look, and I feel suffocated. Most superheroes wear tight suits, so I can never direct one.


Is this legitimate, or is it like when your high school teacher asks you to write a book report and you feign a phobia of literature? “I’m sorry, Ms. Jameson. I really want to do this, but I have an extremely intense fear of inanimate objects with biological designations; like why does a book have a spine?!” In any case, you’re unlikely to find Bong Joon-ho in a Lululemon or hanging out by a pool.

For the record, Director Bong hasn’t entirely ruled out directing a superhero movie. “If there is a superhero who has a very boxy costume, maybe I can try,” he says.