With Deadpool and Wolverine hitting theaters around the world and many Marvel fans revisiting the characters’ past solo adventures, it makes sense that we’d hear from Logan director James Mangold, who attempted to wrap up Hugh Jackman’s run as Wolverine at 20th Century Fox in 2017. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t take kindly to the cinematic universe, but nearly half of his big screen career has been spent working with intellectual property.
Speaking to Rolling Stone following the release of the first trailer for his Bob Dylan biopic, the filmmaker admitted that even he was surprised to be working in “IP entertainment,” which is interesting considering he’s already made three big bucks with two Wolverine movies and a fifth Indiana Jones installment. He’s also set to direct a Star Wars movie at Lucasfilm and Swamp Thing for James Gunn’s DCU, Warner’s new attempt to mimic the MCU.
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“I’ve even worked in IP entertainment, which is weird because I don’t like multi-film universe building. I think it’s the enemy of storytelling. The death of storytelling. How the Lego bricks connect is more interesting to people than how the story in front of us works,” he explained. And you know what? The thing is, he’s not wrong. Even when fan service and properly good storytelling can coexist, studios and fans often get lost in the search for quick profits and superficial gratification.
It makes sense that a traditional filmmaker like him (films like 3:00 to Yuma and Ford v Ferrari were both great “dad movies” and crowd-pleasers) would have this perception, but it’s really funny how it all came crashing down when he helped build Fox’s mutant universe twice, dealt with the finale of Raiders of the Lost Ark, and then signed on to do the Star Wars “Jedi Origins” movie and DC Studios’ Swamp Thing. Mind you, all of his IP-based work, while self-contained, is still part of a larger, franchise-driven project. It’s also not a good look when you’re preparing a key cornerstone for James Gunn’s upcoming reboot of DC continuity. Swamp Thing ties into the larger universe whether you like it or not.
“For me, the goal is always ‘What is unique about this movie and these characters?’ Rather than making you think about other movies or Easter eggs or whatever, which is all intellectual, not emotional. You want this movie to work on an emotional level,” he added. Again, he’s absolutely right about the central idea, which really shows in most of his IPs (even if the complete story doesn’t always work 100%). But, man, you’re really not the best person to stand up and beat this drum.
