Marvel Studios has been hit with a wave of criticism from filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola as of late, but fans of the genre will not take any of it sitting down.

James Gunn, Kevin Smith, and even Jon Favreau have spoken out against those comments while also respecting the directors that helped pave the way for them. And now Disney CEO Bob Iger is coming out to defend his IP. Check out what he had to say below.

These past few weeks have seen some of the greatest directors of the century criticizing Marvel movies and superhero films as a whole for not being real cinema. And then there are those like James Gunn and Kevin Smith, who defend Marvel by saying that they are cinema. So as the two sides plead their cases, the director who helped launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe is sharing his thoughts.

Jon Favreau, who directed Iron Man and Iron Man 2, and appeared in Iron Man 3, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home, took some time off during The Mandalorian press circuit to talk about the comments made by Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, and gave a rather composed response to their criticism of Marvel Studios films. More on what he said, below.

Everyone has an opinion on something, but some people’s opinions get more attention than others. Case in point, director Martin Scorsese‘s dislike of Marvel Studios’ films and of superhero films in general. The Oscar-winner went so far as to liken them to theme parks, even though he admittedly has never sat through a full Marvel movie, and claimed that they are “not cinema.

The backlash on social media to the Taxi Driver director’s comments has been great. However, another acclaimed director just proclaimed his disdain towards Marvel Studios’ films as well. Francis Ford Coppola, whose credits include Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, The Outsiders, and many more, defended Scorsese’s comments, saying that Marvel Studios films are “despicable.” More on the report below.

The Godfather, which is not only one of the greatest mob movies ever made but also one of the greatest American films ever made regardless of genre, celebrates its 45th anniversary this week.

Premiering only in New York City on March 15, 1972 and then opening nationwide on March 24th, 1972, The Godfather remains a true bonafide classic in every sense of the word. The film’s rich storytelling, which is based on the original story by famed literary scribe Mario Puzo, almost borderlines on pulp fiction, yet is raised to a level of fine art by the surefooted and sharp and watchful eye of director and mastermind Francis Ford Coppola. Add to that the cinematography by Gordon Willis, which put blacks and whites and shades into a pioneering new light; the memorable, sweeping music, led by the iconic theme song; the acting by an ensemble cast led by Marlon Brando and supported by actors who wound up becoming legends in their own right, The Godfather is many things to many people and a masterpiece of a film to all.

The Gold Box spotlight deal of the day today over at Amazon is The Godfather Collection: The Coppola Restoration Blu-ray Edition on sale for only $16.99 (that’s 71% off the list price of $57.99).

The 4-disc blu-ray box set includes all three films in the epic cinematic saga of the Corleone crime family, from the groundbreaking 1972 Oscar-winning classic original, The Godfather, to the much-maligned 1990 third chapter, plus a fourth disc containing hours of bonus features including extensive documentaries, deleted scenes (many of which were reintegrated into the first two films when director Francis Ford Coppola was preparing The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television back in 1977), vintage featurettes, photo and storyboard galleries, theatrical trailers, and much more.