Chloé Zhao Defends Comic-Book Movies as Vital Storytelling,

Oscar Winner Challenges Industry Dismissal of Superhero Films

Chloé Zhao, the Oscar-winning director behind Nomadland, mounted a passionate defense of comic-book movies during a masterclass at the Venice Film Festival on Friday afternoon. The filmmaker pushed back against critics who dismiss superhero films as lesser forms of storytelling, arguing that all narrative forms serve essential purposes for audiences. Her comments directly challenged the position of directors like Martin Scorsese, who famously likened Marvel movies to “theme parks” rather than cinema.

“I do feel it’s important to not write off stories because we don’t consider them high art,” Zhao told the masterclass audience. “The purpose of storytelling for me, humbly, is to create containers for people … to try to process what they need to process. Archetypes are such a great way to do it – and we see them in myths – is because it’s something we all share.”

The director brings unique credentials to this debate, having helmed both the acclaimed indie drama Nomadland and the $200 million-plus Marvel blockbuster Eternals. Her defense of comic-book storytelling carries particular weight given her status as only the second woman ever to win best picture at the Academy Awards.

From Manga Dreams to Hollywood Blockbusters

During the wide-ranging masterclass, Zhao revealed that she never initially envisioned herself as a film director. Growing up, she dreamed of becoming a manga artist, drawn to Japanese comic storytelling traditions. “But I wasn’t very good at drawing. I wasn’t up to standard,” she said with a laugh. “I wanted to tell stories. I didn’t think cinema was an option for me.”

That childhood passion for graphic storytelling eventually found expression in her 2021 Marvel film Eternals, which starred Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Barry Keoghan, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie. The film revolved around an immortal alien race sent to protect Earth from evil beings.

“I loved doing it,” Zhao said of directing the movie. “For any of you who love anime, I know you know this was a girl’s dream come true. Comic books are the western equivalent of [manga]. They are very different, but I live in the west, and that’s what I had access to.”

Drawing Parallels Between Blockbusters and Indie Cinema

When the masterclass moderator suggested a sharp contrast between the big-budget tentpole Eternals and the intimate Nomadland, Zhao rejected the premise entirely. She drew unexpected connections between the two seemingly disparate projects, demonstrating how her artistic vision remains consistent across budgets and genres.

“What contrast? It’s people in nature… with animals… who have complicated relationships with them,” Zhao said.

The comment underscored her holistic approach to filmmaking, viewing both projects through the lens of human connection to environment. Nomadland, which starred Frances McDormand, followed a sweeping, lyrical narrative about a widow who loses her job and lives out of her car while traveling around the U.S. for work.

Comic-Book Movies Face Post-Pandemic Challenges

Despite Zhao’s artistic defense, superhero movies have faced commercial headwinds since the pandemic reshaped audience behavior and preferences. Even Eternals fell short of box office expectations, earning $400 million globally against a production budget exceeding $200 million. The performance reflected broader challenges facing the genre as theatrical attendance patterns shifted.

Nevertheless, Zhao maintains that the value of these stories extends beyond commercial metrics. She sees superhero narratives as serving the same archetypal functions that myths have provided throughout human history, offering audiences frameworks to process complex emotions and experiences through accessible, visually dynamic storytelling.

Triumphant Return to Venice Film Festival

The masterclass marked a significant return to Venice for Zhao, who premiered Nomadland on the Lido in 2020. That film earned her the prestigious Golden Lion, Venice’s highest honor, before going on to make history at the Academy Awards where she became only the second woman ever to win best picture.

Zhao returned to the festival circuit in 2025 with Hamnet, a Shakespearean drama that places her back in the awards conversation. The fictionalized account explores themes consistent with her broader filmmaking interests, demonstrating her range across historical drama, contemporary indie cinema, and blockbuster spectacle.

Bridging Popular and Prestige Cinema

By defending comic-book movies while maintaining her credentials as an auteur filmmaker, Zhao positions herself as a bridge between Hollywood’s commercial and artistic spheres. Her argument challenges the artificial hierarchy that places certain genres above others in critical estimation, advocating instead for evaluating stories based on their emotional resonance and archetypal power.

This perspective offers a counterpoint to the ongoing debate about superhero fatigue and the perceived decline of mid-budget adult dramas in theatrical release. Zhao suggests that rather than competing, these different forms of storytelling can coexist and serve complementary purposes for diverse audiences seeking different kinds of narrative experiences.

Her Venice masterclass underscored that the director who won Hollywood’s highest honors for an intimate road movie sees no contradiction in also celebrating the mythic storytelling traditions embodied in superhero cinema. For Zhao, the common thread remains the fundamental human need for stories that help audiences process their experiences through the power of archetype and myth.