John Wickcreator Chad Stahelski explains why superhero action scenes often fail to reach their full potential in movies fromMarvelandDC. Marvel and DC movies have presented dozens of action scenes ranging from run-of-the-mill fight sequences to extraordinary battles likeAvengers: Endgame’s packed final fightandBatman’s warehouse fight fromBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. However, action scenes in the superhero genre aren’t known for their consistency.
In an interview withTHR,John Wickcreator and director Chad Stahelski weighs in on the current state of action scenes in Hollywood. Stahelski explains that the key to creating solid action sequences lies in ensuring a balance between story, spectacle, and innovation.Stahelski specifically mentions superhero movies and points out that the genre often relies on second unit directors taking care of action scenes, which causes a clear disconnection between the action and the drama within each movie. Read Chad Stahelski’s full comments below:
THR: What are the biggest mistakes action movies seem to be making when you see other films?
Chad Stahelski:Please make sure you print this: This is only my opinion and my opinion is no better or worse than anybody else’s. Some things I think don’t work might work for some people. It’s the execution. Like with Die Hard. There’s not a lot of action, the whole thing takes place on three floors of a building, but John McClane is a great character. When he runs through the glass barefoot, I’m fucking in — that’s what you have to do. I could do the exact same choreography that’s in John Wick, but if you didn’t love Keanu Reeves as John Wick, we wouldn’t be talking right now. There are better athletes than Jackie Chan—
THR: But we love Jackie Chan.
Chad Stahelski:You fucking love him! For the longest time, [the industry consensus] was, “It’s not about the action, it’s about the story.” That’s not true. And then there was, “It’s not about stories, it’s about the action.” That’s not true! You have to conceive the whole thing together.
So biggest problem with action movies is people think they’re making two separate movies. The story doesn’t stop just because there’s punching and kicking. In some of the superhero stuff, when a second unit guy is doing half the movie, everything looks different during the action. Even the coloring and editing is different. [The film] never feels aligned. So if you don’t want to shoot your own action, then don’t do the movie. Whether it’s Steven Spielberg or Christopher Nolan or Guy Ritchie or the Wachowskis, they all shoot their own action.
Good Action Scenes Offer Something New And Authentic
As Chad Stahelski explains,good action scenes are visually compelling, serve their story, and retain the same style as the rest of their respective movies. For instance,Captain America: Civil War’s final battle provide a thrilling climax to the tensions between Iron Man, Captain America, and the Winter Soldier. It also makes the best use of each hero’s abilities and fighting techniques, and it displays the same direction style as the rest of the movie. It also goes one step beyond and pays homage to the source material with a reference toCivil War’s comic panels.
That said,Captain America: Civil War’s final battle was planned on the day of shooting, which makes its high quality seem like a mix of behind-the-scenes talent and sheer luck. Other MCU action scenes, likeBlack Widow’s Red Room destruction andBlack Panther’s final battle, fail on at least one of the three aspects mentioned by Chad Stahelski.Director Lucrecia Martel once revealed she was in the running to directBlack Widow, but she dropped out because"companies are interested in female filmmakers, but they still think action scenes are for male directors,“suggestingBlack Widow’s action scenes were relegated to second unit directors.
Action Scenes Are One Of The Aspects Supehero Movie Studios May Need To Rethink Soon
The overall performance of Marvel and DC movies has declined in the past five years, though movies likeThunderbolts*andThe Suicide Squadstand out due to their heartfelt scripts and creative action sequences. With box office results failing to meet expectations more often, companies like Marvel and DC may need to rethink their general approach.One of the aspects superhero movies may need to put more focus on is action sequences, which could help their respective movies stand out from recent disappointments. More exhaustive planning and a more involved execution could help newMarvelandDCaction scenes reach new heights.
