Jimmy Kimmel settles Martin Scorsese’s feud with Marvel: Meet ‘Irish Man’
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s ... Robert De Niro in an Iron Man suit?
In honor of his Monday night guest, Martin Scorsese, comedian Jimmy Kimmel vowed to put an end to the ongoing feud between the veteran director and Marvel by creating a Scorsese-style MCU film, and the result was a hilarious CGI noir extravaganza. The host debuted the heavily edited trailer for “Irish Man” on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” before Scorsese took the stage.
But first Kimmel recapped the industry drama for his audience, reminding them of Scorsese’s month-old original criticism of Marvel movies that started it all.
“He said, among other things, that he doesn’t think those movies are cinema, which upset a lot of people,” Kimmel said. “And anyone who knows me knows that the one thing I hate is to see people upset, and that’s why ... I’m pleased to bring you the world premiere trailer for the first-ever collaboration between Marvel and Martin Scorsese.”
Cue the video, which opens, identically to the actual “Irishman” trailer, on a dim city street outside the Villa di Roma restaurant before cutting to Marvel’s comic reel — except instead of “Marvel,” it reads “Martin Scorsese” in the superhero brand’s bold, blocky font.
“Only three people in the world have one of these,” comes the now overplayed line from Joe Pesci’s Russell Bufalino. This time, however, the mobster has traded his signature gold ring for a four-leaf clover ring emitting a magical glow reminiscent of the all-powerful infinity stones in the “Avengers” franchise.
“Whatever you need me to do, I’m available,” De Niro’s Frank Sheeran replies, his face suddenly shrouded in an “Iron Man”-style mask with luminous green eyes. Green quickly becomes a theme throughout the choppy super-cut: Later, Al Pacino’s Jimmy Hoffa gets his own CGI makeover as Hulk.
Eventually, the mashup splices in some familiar MCU footage as well, including a dramatic entrance from Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury.
“You’ve become part of a bigger universe,” the one-eyed agent says. “I’m here to tell you about the Avenger initiative.”
“I don’t think so,” De Niro replies with his trademark frown.
The remainder of the gag trailer sees De Niro flying through the sky in an “Iron Man”-like suit, capped with a Leprechaun-style top hat before revealing his super alias: “Irish Man.”
Directors Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola have belittled films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, claiming they’re “despicable” and “not cinema.”
The real Scorsese later joined Kimmel for a sit-down interview, during which they avoided discussing anything Marvel-related. The filmmaker has already spoken on the topic at length since making his initial statement, both in follow-up interviews and in a buzzy op-ed for the New York Times that doubled down and expanded on his polarizing opinions.
Kimmel is only the latest celebrity to enter the debate, which has also prompted responses from several Marvel heavyweights, including Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chadwick Boseman, Robert Downey Jr., Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger, who doubted that Scorsese had “ever seen a Marvel film.”
More to Read
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.