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Did Martin Scorsese consider directing Joker despite trashing Marvel movies as ‘not cinema’?

A scene from Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the title role.

American-Italian filmmaker Martin Scorsese made headlines for saying that Marvel movies were “not cinema” and comparing them to theme parks.

But the legendary director of Goodfellas, and the upcoming Netflix movie The Irishman, could have made a comic-book movie for Marvel’s rival.

Check out the US$1 million hypercar Batman would trade his Batmobile for

Scorsese originally considered Warner Bros. and DC’s Joker as a “potential directing vehicle” before The Hangover director Todd Phillips came on board, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which cited a source close to Scorsese.

Representatives for Scorsese did not immediately return Business Insider’s request for comment, but told THR that he “had no intention to direct Joker” and only “considered producing”.

Scorsese was originally attached as a producer before he “quietly left” the project, according to THR. Scorsese potentially directing Joker is surprising given his comments about Marvel superhero movies in Empire magazine last week.

Martin Scorsese sparked a firestorm among filmmakers on October 4 when he claimed superhero blockbusters like the ones Marvel makes were ‘not cinema’. Photo: AFP

“I don't see them,” Scorsese told Empire magazine last week regarding Marvel movies. “I tried, you know? But that’s not cinema. Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.”

5 reasons why Joker is going to clean up at the Oscars

But Joker isn't a typical comic-book movie. The R-rated origin story for Batman’s famous foe has drawn criticism for its graphic depictions of violence, which gained national attention after some family members of the 2012 Aurora, Colorado mass-shooting victims sent a letter to Warner Bros. with concerns.

Still, the movie earned US$96 million domestically in the United States over the weekend, a record debut for October, and has made US$258 million worldwide off a US$55 million budget.

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This article originally appeared on Business Insider

Legendary director Scorsese could have made a comic-book movie for Marvel’s rival, according to The Hollywood Reporter