The Duplass Brothers Turned Down Making a Marvel or DC Superhero Movie

As a big part of the Mumblecore subgenre in the mid-2000s, Jay and Mark Duplass have spent the past ten years making small, mostly independent, low-budget films. But that doesn't mean they haven't caught the eye of some big-time Hollywood movie executives. In a new interview with L.A. Magazine, the duo reveal that they've actually been approached and offered a major superhero film for either Marvel or DC, but they ended up turning it down because it conflicted with the way they make movies:

"We have been [approached]," Mark answered. "We said no. The thing that happens when you sign on to a $180 million movie is that the movie is not a movie. It's a commodity. We're not in that business."

"It's very easy to blow people's minds in Hollywood," added Jay. "Just say no. Now, if it were Batman and Robin as a 98 percent relationship drama in the Bat Cave...I would bet that's 12,000 people's favorite movie."

It's no secret that with an increased budget comes an increased number of interests to satisfy aside from your own, and I think the Duplass brothers have managed to essentially become kings of the indie genre specifically because they've held true to their artistic visions and sacrificed larger budgets for movies where they wouldn't have to compromise. Even films that they just act in or executive produce, like Safety Not Guaranteed or The One I Love, aren't big movies by any means, but they still have a real sense of artistic truth to them, like we're seeing a pretty pure distillation of the director's vision. And while people like James Gunn, Jon Favreau, and the Russo Brothers transitioned from smaller movies to the big-budget world of Marvel Studios, there's still enough room for The Duplass's if they decide to one day join the world of superhero blockbusters. In the meantime, they're perfectly content with what they're doing now, expanding their indie empire and working hard on season two of HBO's Togetherness, which returns to TV in February.

If they changed their minds, would you be interested in seeing the Duplass Brothers direct a big DC or Marvel film?

Via: The Playlist