Actor-comedian and featured player in the upcoming DC movie Joker Marc Maron doubled down on comments he made in a recent late-night appearance on Conan.
As guest on Conan, Maron stated vehemently and possibly as part of his usual routine he has not and will not see Avengers: Endgame because he isn’t into that type of movie. He added he won’t let “grown nerd men” bully him into watching it. (Related: DC’s Joker Actor Marc Maron Says Marvel and Comic Book Movies are for ‘Male Nerd Childs’)
He received heavy backlash on social media from Marvel fans and defenders, some of it pretty passionate. On Twitter, he responded by telling “Marvel movie fans!” not to act like “religious fanatics” and “Let it go.”
Hey, Marvel movie fans! Stop acting like outraged religious fanatics defending their belief system. It’s okay if I don’t believe. Let it go. Also, I’m actually big fan of a lot of comic art. Try to relax your mainstream asses.
— marc maron (@marcmaron) August 24, 2019
Those new comments are eliciting more pushback. Some continue to call Maron hypocritical and accuse him of being mainstream too. He had the following to say:
eh, not really. But good one.
— marc maron (@marcmaron) August 24, 2019
In a twist, Joker director Todd Phillips declared war on Marvel recently, saying he and DC, through Warner Bros., will “do what they can’t.” Maron spouting off could be another front in that “war” leading into the release of their film. (Related: DC vs. Marvel War ‘Is On’ Claims Joker Director Todd Phillips)
If that’s the case though, it isn’t about the money, Maron explained in one exchange.
no that big of a check. Day rate. It was really just the opp to work with Deniro. But i get your misunderstanding.
— marc maron (@marcmaron) August 24, 2019
Ethan Anderton of Slashfilm interjected and wrote Maron is making generalizations about something people used to be bullied for when it wasn’t mainstream.
Maybe they’re sick of hasty generalizations about something millions of people around the globe have come to embrace, love, and be inspired by something that, at one time, many were bullied for, labeled as nerds or geeks when it wasn’t considered cool or mainstream.
— Ethan Anderton (@Ethan_Anderton) August 25, 2019
Maron replied, calling Anderton’s mindset “almost fascistic” and dismissing the charge of generalizing.
Not a generalization at all. Good inverted bully tactic to site the ‘millions’ who love. Almost fascistic. Seems like they should be able absorb some cultural criticism given their new cultural power.
— marc maron (@marcmaron) August 25, 2019
Anderton inserted politics into it and called him cynical, but Maron shot that down by saying the goings-on of politics and society are a spectrum. (Related: DC Comics Creator Sean Gordon Murphy Discusses His Approach to Politics in Comics)
I don’t think it’s cynical. There’s a spectrum to what’s going on socially and politically. But I get what you are saying.
— marc maron (@marcmaron) August 25, 2019
Maron later quipped about his exchanges in defense of his words, describing it as a “troll dance” with “baby brains” and a waste of time.
good times doing the troll dance with emotional baby brains. forgot what an exciting waste of time this can be
— marc maron (@marcmaron) August 25, 2019
Afterward, in reflection, Maron summed things up. His takeaway is his opinion didn’t sting so much as his word choices and suggesting the culture so preoccupied with Marvel and superhero movies is infantilized.
Apparently, the consensus is I’m allowed to have my opinion about MCU but the use of the word ‘nerd’ and ‘grown man child’ and any suggestion of cultural infantilism was triggering. I get it. Noted.
— marc maron (@marcmaron) August 26, 2019
Maron then turned to talk about Joker, clarifying his heroes aren’t fictitious — like Iron Man or Batman — but real men, albeit ones who play pretend people, like Robert DeNiro. He added it doesn’t change the way he feels though he called working with DeNiro a “once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Addressing Joker. My heroes are HUMAN. I did a scene with one of my heroes in REAL LIFE. Doesn’t change the way I feel. Small compromise. Probably a once in a lifetime opportunity. That’s the problem with having human heroes I guess.
— marc maron (@marcmaron) August 26, 2019
Despite the back and forth, Avengers: Endgame still became the highest-grossing movie ever and Warner Bros. remains in the process of revamping their DC film brand. Tone will depend on what character they deal with. (Related: DC Entertainment Producer Peter Safran Confirms Batman and Joker Can Have A Dark Tone)
Marc Maron stars in the new season of GLOW, the show’s third, on Netflix. Joker is in theaters this October.