Francis Ford Coppola Weighs in on Marvel Debate

Originally posted on Men's Journal | By Griff Griffin | Last updated Nov 1, 2024 5:00 PM ET

Like many legendary directors before him, Francis Ford Coppola has been asked if he thinks Marvel is indeed cinema.

The director of Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, and most recently Megalopolis shared his thoughts with Portuguese outlet CinePop, which you can view below.

“You know, that’s a tough question,” Coppola says. “I think there’s a lot of talent in Marvel movies, and it’s admirable. But the purpose of art is to illuminate contemporary life, not to make people money.”

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Coppola’s answer says a lot about Megalopolis. Likely the director’s final film, it’s hardly been a hit at the box office, but at this stage in his life, Coppola is more concerned with expressing himself artificially than raking in cash with a hit film.

To date, Megalopolis has grossed just $13 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $120–136 million.

That seems of little concern to Coppola, however. “Like Apocalypse Now,” he says, “Megalopolis will be seen for the next 50 years. Which, by the way, Apocalypse Now and Dracula and all my films have very long theatrical lives. I mean, Apocalypse Now is still a big earner.”