Denis Villeneuve Quotes

There's something about the superheroes and the idea behind their relationship with humans, whether it's a metaphor for the better part of ourselves, or the more flawed part of ourselves. So it seems to really be our own pop-culture version of Greek mythology.

We like Batman - we understand him, we suffer with him. On the other hand, we want to be Superman. But they're conflicting philosophies. Let's bring them together in one movie and see how we, as an audience, wrestle with our inner demons.

My son craves picture books about Transformers and Ninja Turtles and the Hulk; they show one fantastic creature smashing or zapping another into smithereens on page after page. They are dull and ugly and show no interesting stories or models of conflict resolution or character building.

Most superheroes are painted with a specific moral objective that makes them who they are. And that moral objective influences everything they do, so there's an expectation for what you're going to see out of a certain character.

Superheroes were created in America, they're most popular in America, and at their best, they embody American ideals.

I believe excellent fantasy reflects us all, and yes, it can use those myths that underpin societies, our subconscious yearnings and longings, and perhaps our barren spirituality.

At its core, 'Heroes' is an ensemble character drama with genre elements.

I think every guy and girl would love to get to play Superman at some point in their life.

I was four or five, and my mom got all the Power Rangers to come through. I thought it was really them. I started crying tears of joy. It was so amazing. My favorite Power Ranger was the green one. He wasn't in every episode - he was rare, like Based God. He was like the Based God Power Ranger.

One of the reasons why people - particularly young people - love action movies is because what they are really looking for is justice.

I was looking to explore the theme of good and evil, so what better inspiration than the comics? I'd developed a relationship with DC and Warner Bros. when I donated a sculpture of Catwoman to the 'We Can Be Heroes' campaign a few years ago. That's what started it.

I like superheroes. I like the drama of it, the stirring, larger-than-life aspect.

Heroes are created by popular demand, sometimes out of the scantiest materials, or none at all.

'Justice League' takes place in the past, and Aquaman has a lot more to prove. He's just starting out. The perception is already beginning, and all these super humans are just showing up, and here's Aquaman. The perception is, 'What's next? Now we've got a guy talking to fish. What can be next?'

Batman and Superman are very different characters but they're both iconic and elemental. Finding the right story for them both is the key.

What Christopher Nolan and I have done with 'Superman' is try to bring the same naturalistic approach that we adopted for the 'Batman' trilogy. We always had a naturalistic approach; we want our stories to be rooted in reality, like they could happen in the same world we live in.

As a kid, you just like anything fanciful that you're into, but as an adult, I really love that kind of place where the super hero mythos meets life, where it has that human story; that's what I think I was really drawn to when I started getting into the X-Men.

The most unrealistic thing I've ever read in comics is when some group of characters calls themselves the Brotherhood of Evil or the Masters of Evil. I don't believe any character believes their goals to be truly evil.

I appreciate both... for me, I think 'Star Wars' is more science fantasy and is based on a lot of great legendary heroes and morality plays and stuff. And 'Star Trek' is just pure fun. Pure science fun. And I've always appreciated both.

In a post-9/11 world, 'Batman' is less about scaring bad people into the shadows than he is about bringing good people out into the light.

I've never seen a Western that was really truthful. Most are just morality plays. Good guys and bad guys - and the good guys always win, whereas in reality, most of the sheriffs were as bad as the gangsters they were after.

Comic-book movies are mythology, in a way, and there are a lot more parallels in them with what's going on in the real world than people want to discuss.

I'm a fan of the sensibility of comics, and I love the escapism of them and the defining of good and evil. They're just so creative, too.

One reason why in Hollywood we are so often inventing heroes is that real heroes are vexing.

All things are possible, especially in the realm of superheroes.