Ethan Hawke Says Marvel Critics Are Not 'Stuck-Up,' MCU Is Not 'Director-Friendly'

Actor Ethan Hawke recently made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the live-action Disney+ series "Moon Knight."

In a recent interview with IndieWire, Hawke was asked to weigh in on criticism of movies in the MCU by established directors, such as Martin Scorsese, who said that superhero blockbuster movies are "not cinema."

The Academy Award-winning actor, who enjoyed his role in the MCU, tried to remain diplomatic when he tried to take both sides of the argument.

During the interview, Ethan Hawke made it clear that he believes that Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola are "not stuck up" for their view on the MCU.

"If people like Scorsese and Coppola don't come out to tell their truth about how there are more important things than making money, who's going to?" Hawke asked.

"It's easy for them, but it needs to be somebody in the community saying, 'Hey, everybody, this is not Fanny and Alexander," Hawke added. "If you keep reviewing these movies that are basically made for 14-year-olds like they're Fanny and Alexander or Winter Light, then who the h---'s going to get to make Winter Light?"

"I appreciate the elder statesmen of the community reminding people not to set the bar too low," he said, adding, "I know it makes some people think they're stuck up, but they're not stuck up."

Although it is starting to seem doubtful that "Moon Knight" will come back for a second season, Ethan Hawke said that he had a "really good experience" on "Moon Knight," which starred Star Wars alum Oscar Isaac as the titular superhero.

Hawke went on to say that Marvel movies, in general, seem to be "actor-friendly," but are not really all that "director-friendly."

"That group of people is extremely actor-friendly — they might not be director-friendly, and that could be what Scorsese and Coppola are talking about," Hawke explained.

"I think Kevin Feige had a great thing happen with Robert Downey Jr. and he understood that Downey's passion was a large part of the success," he continued.

"When actors are excited by a part, audiences get excited about watching them," he added. "Feige understood the algorithm there, so they're extremely respectful toward the process."

For his part, Hawke called Isaac's performance "the best thing" about "Moon Knight."

"The best thing about Moon Knight for me was Oscar's performance," Hawke said. "It's a gonzo thing that happens to have a giant budget — a pretty out-there performance."

Hawke had previously told Entertainment Weekly that "Scenes From a Marriage" actor Oscar Isaac was actually the one who had convinced him to join the show. Isaac pitched the series to him after they ran into one another in a coffee shop in Brooklyn.

"I had a feeling that if Oscar was this convincing to me [about Moon Knight], he might be that convincing to the world as this character," Hawke explained.

"He really wanted to play this part and his reasons were sound and he was dedicated, and I just felt right about it immediately," he continued. "Plus, I'd already been in talks with [director[ Mohamed [Diab]. I'd been working on another project with Mohamed that he had to drop out of to do this, and so it seemed like such synchronicity that both these guys would come at me with a Marvel job."

"I felt like, well, if I was ever going to jump into this playground, the time is obviously now," he added.

"Moon Knight" is currently available to stream on Disney+. Fans interested in updates about a possible second season can read more about that here.