Ken Loach Says Marvel Films Are "Made as Commodities Like Hamburgers"

The veteran director has joined the growing list of cinema legends taking a swipe at the superhero world.

The lineup of veteran directors giving the Marvel Cinematic Universe a kick (when prompted) trundles on.

This time it's the turn of Ken Loach, the 83-year-old icon of socially conscious cinema, who somewhat unsurprisingly suggested that the adventures of Iron Man, Thor and company weren't among his favorite on-screen offerings.

Speaking to Sky News, the two-time Palme d'Or-winning Brit described Marvel's output as "boring" and cynically produced.

"They're made as commodities like hamburgers, and it's not about communicating, and it's not about sharing our imagination," he said. "It's about making a commodity which will make a profit for a big corporation – they're a cynical exercise. They're a market exercise, and it has nothing to do with the art of cinema. William Blake said, 'When money is discussed, art is impossible.'"

Loach follows Francis Ford Coppola, who branded Marvel titles "despicable," and Martin Scorsese, who sparked the debate when he said they were "theme park films," adding later that they were "invading" cinema. The conversation is unlikely to die down anytime soon, with the question now having become a staple for any interview with a non-Marvel director.

Loach has been promoting his latest feature, Sorry We Missed You, his Cannes-bowing and critically acclaimed swipe at the gig economy and zero-hours contracts, which follows a delivery driver and his family brought to the financial brink.