Paul Thomas Anderson is definitely considered a champion of cinema. He’s a guy who shot his last film on 70mm film, loves the medium, and makes movies with deep characters and complex themes. Recently, he’s began eschewing strict narrative in favor of a looser structures, too. In short, he sounds like exactly the kind of person who’d be opposed to the boom of massive superhero movies at the box office.

But, you’d be wrong. In a new interview, Anderson defends the genre. Read the Paul Thomas Anderson superhero movie quotes below.

Anderson was talking to Rolling Stone about the amazing Inherent Vice, when this exchange cropped up:

Rolling Stone: What do you think of the state of movies today? Do you feel like the complaints about American filmmaking being nothing but superhero movies…

Anderson: Ah, that’s such a fucking crock of shit. I can’t remember a year in recent memory where there were less complaints about the quality of movies. And what’s wrong with superhero movies, you know? I don’t know. You’re talking to someone that enjoys watching those films. People need to get a life if they’re having that discussion [laughs]. Those movies get a bad rap.

It’s a really good overall interview, and I suggest you check it all out. But we’re just going to focus on this a bit.

You just have to look at the recent Oscar nominations, snubs and surprises aside, to prove that the big blockbusters can co-exist with all the other movies. A few superhero movies are nominated for awards – Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, X-Men: Days of Future Past – but none of them are in the main categories. People paying for these movies is allowing studios to release smaller movies. Examples, Warner Bros. releasing Anderson’s Inherent Vice and American Sniper. Fox’s Searchlight banner doing The Grand Budapest Hotel and Birdman. Does the success of superhero films have a direct dollar to dollar effect on those movies? No. But if you have a few sure fire hits, maybe the company is willing to take a few more risks.

Plus, if Paul Thomas Anderson can enjoy superhero movies, shouldn’t we all?

Any thoughts on his quotes?