The Deadline interview may have been centered around Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon,” but it also serves as a reflection of the director’s thoughts on the entertainment industry as a whole. In addition to dissing superhero films by saying the stories usually aren’t good, he also reflected on Barbenheimer, particularly how it was the shot in the arm the box office needed. He explained, “We had ‘Barbie,’ which felt more like a musical, and what’s good about Chris [Nolan’s] film is he takes such a grave subject and does it in an epic way, and he hopes for return. He got the return.”
It makes sense for Ridley Scott to appreciate Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” as he has his own historical biopic with “Napoleon.” One has to wonder if one of the “Batman” movies Scott mentioned liking is part of Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. He didn’t specify, but given how Scott criticized how superhero movies lack good stories, one would assume he would have an appreciation for what Nolan accomplished with his “Batman” films that told more mature stories and weren’t trying to be part of a grander universe.
Scott may not be inclined to jump into the Marvel or DC universes, but he’s obviously not repelled by franchises at large. Following “Napoleon,” he’s working on “Gladiator 2,” a sequel to the massive hit that was “Gladiator” — which Scott considered a superhero film on some level. However, Russell Crowe won’t be in it, so without his “superhero,” perhaps he’ll view the follow-up differently.
