Gwyneth Paltrow speaks on quality of superhero movies amidst Cord Jefferson's Oscar speech

Gwyneth Paltrow shared her thoughts on the state of superhero movies during her appearance on the First We Feast on Hot Ones show. During a conversation with host Sean Evans, she was asked about American Fiction director Cord Jefferson's Oscar speech. Jefferson had said in his acceptance speech, "Instead of making one $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies."

Paltrow, who has starred in multiple MCU films with budgets exceeding $200 million, agreed with Jefferson's sentiments. "I absolutely understand where he’s coming from," the Oscar-winning actress said. Talking about superhero movies, she added:

"You can only make so many good ones that feel truly original, and yet they’re still always trying to reach as many people as possible, which sometimes hinders quality or specificity or real point of view."

Gwyneth Paltrow, a 51-year old actress, is known for her roles in films like Shakespeare In Love and The Talented Mr. Ripley, among others. She is also the founder and CEO of Goop, a wellness and lifestyle company.

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What did Gwyneth Paltrow say about superhero movies?

Gwyneth Paltrow is popularly recognized for her portrayal of Pepper Potts, the love interest of Tony Stark aka Iron Man (played by Robert Downey Jr.) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Her last MCU film, Avengers: Endgame earned over $2 billion against a budget of around $400 million.

Meanwhile, Cord Jefferson won an Oscar at the 2024 Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay for American Fiction. While accepting the award, he said:

"I understand that this is a risk-averse industry... but $200 million movies are also a risk... but you take the risk anyway. Instead of making one $200 million movie, make 20 $10 million movies or 50 $4 million movies."

Paltrow reacted to the statement by agreeing during her interview on Hot Ones. She said:

"You want the best chance to have a strong ROI. People put a lot of money into these things and they want them to be profitable. But if I look at the industry as a whole, this big push into superhero movies… you can only make so many good ones that feel truly original..."

She also lamented that the mid-budget movies she made early in her career during the 1990s would not get made today. She added:

"You get more diversity of art when there is less at stake and people can express their true voice and make a film the way they want to make it."

Gwyneth Paltrow's sentiments echo other celebrities who have discussed the over-saturation of superhero films in the industry and the "superhero fatigue" that has taken over the audience. Last year, Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi responded to The Hollywood Reporter:

"I’m a bit fatigued by working on those big films, studio films, which is why I’ve come back to do smaller films like this; my next film will be a smaller one."

Similarly, The Batman actor Paul Dano welcomed the "superhero fatigue" and told The Independent:

"As soon as the word ‘content’ came into what we do — meaning making movies or TV — it meant quantity over quality, which I think was a big misstep."

The genre of superhero movies have been under scrunity in recent years, with many receiving criticism regarding its quality. With the poor reception of recent films such as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels and Madame Web, fans and celebrities alike have spoken out against the mediocrity of recent comic-book films.

Gwyneth Paltrow's recent works include voice roles in the film She Said (2022) and in the 2023 series American Horror Stories. Her full conversation with Sean Evans can be viewed on the First We Feast YouTube channel.