Acclaimed British actor Brian Cox is known for his unrelenting honesty when it comes to new movies and the state of the industry, and the MCU’s new hit, Deadpool & Wolverine, is the latest target in his critical crosshairs. Cox has been working since 1965, getting his start in ITV (a British TV channel) dramas, and slowly working his way up the ladder until he became a household name following appearances in Rob Roy, Braveheart, and Manhunter. Recent years have seen Cox’s stardom skyrocket to new heights, thanks in large part to his starring role in HBO’s remarkable drama Succession, and the actor has used his new platform to call out what he believes is the reason ‘cinema’ is dying…blockbuster superhero movies.

Cox recently spoke at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (via The Hollywood Reporter) about the current state of the industry. After appearing in the wildly successful Succession as the manipulative patriarch of the Roy family, the actor believes that television is quickly overtaking movies as the premiere storytelling destination. Cox explained that the MCU and superhero movies are partly to blame.

Deadpool & Wolverine 3.5/5 A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.Release Date July 26, 2024 Studio Marvel Studios, 20th Century Studios, 21 Laps Entertainment Tagline Everyone deserves a happy ending. Franchise Marvel Expand

Unlike director Martin Scorsese, Cox doesn’t have anything against that specific genre, having starred in the likes of X-Men 2 himself. Instead, he takes issue with studios’ attempts to make these movies feel like “grandiose” events, rather than letting the storytelling speak for itself — name-dropping the recently released Deadpool & Wolverine. Cox said:

“What’s happened is that television is doing what cinema used to do. I think cinema is in a very bad way. I think it’s lost its place because of, partly, the grandiose element between Marvel, DC and all of that. And I think it’s beginning to implode, actually. You’re kind of losing the plot.
[Those movies are] making a lot of money that’ll make everybody happy, but in terms of the work, it becomes diluted afterwards. You’re getting the same old… I mean, I’ve done those kind of [projects]. So it’s just become a party time for certain actors to do this stuff. When you know that Hugh Jackman can do a bit more, Ryan Reynolds… they go down that road and it’s box office. They make a lot of money. You can’t knock it.”

Brian Cox Reveals Major Way the Movie Industry Has Changed

During the conversation, Brian Cox reflected on his days starting out as an actor. Born in Dundee, Scotland, Cox remembered trying to get cast in local theater productions, which would involve going to auditions and meeting with casting directors, writers, and anyone involved to help him get his foot in the door. Some 60 years later, Cox said the industry has changed significantly, especially regarding the casting process. The actor sympathizes with new actors trying to get their start, who are stuck behind endless self-taped auditions where they never actually meet anyone or build a report with those involved. Cox said:

“Now, they want every young actor or actress to make their own self-tapes. They’ve got to make it without actually meeting anybody, and sometimes they never even get the f*cking result, because they get ignored. They spend three days making a self-date, which goes nowhere. Now young actors are in limbo and it’s disgusting, quite frankly, because it actually stops what an actor can do or who an actor is.”

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The actor’s recent comments are far from the first time Cox has taken shots at the industry. Earlier this year, Brian Cox criticized Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in Ridley Scott’s Napoleon biopic. While the movie received mixed reactions from fans, Cox wasn’t a fan of the movie. Not holding anything back, Cox concluded, “It really is appalling.”

Succession
is available to stream on Max.