Meryl Streep has criticised what she describes as the "Marvel-ising" of cinema, arguing that contemporary films increasingly present simplistic black-and-white moral viewpoints that fail to reflect the complexities of reality.
Streep's Critique of Modern Cinema
Speaking to Fleur East on The Hits Radio Breakfast Show, Streep was asked about her latest film, The Devil Wears Prada 2, in which she reprises her iconic role as the tyrannical fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly. When host East suggested that the sequel explores a softer side of the famously domineering character, Streep offered a nuanced response.
"I don't know. I feel like you get a realistic view," Streep said. "I think when we tend to Marvel-ise the movies now – we got the villains and we got the good guys – and it's so boring."
She continued: "And what's really interesting about life is that some of the heroes are flawed and some of the villains are human and interesting and have their own strengths. So that's what I like about [The Devil Wears Prada 2]. It's messier."
The Marvel franchise, a long-running series of interconnected superhero blockbusters, remains the most commercially successful film franchise of the 21st century. Streep's comments echo a broader cultural conversation about the dominance of formulaic franchise filmmaking.
The Devil Wears Prada 2: A Critical and Commercial Success
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a sequel to the beloved 2006 film, which starred Anne Hathaway, Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci. All four actors reprise their roles in the new film, which has garnered warm reviews from critics. In a four-star review for The Independent, critic Clarisse Loughrey praised the sequel for delivering a trenchant portrait of contemporary journalism.
"Not even the die-hard loyalists of 2006's fashion satire The Devil Wears Prada expected much from its return to the big screen: a 'cerulean sweater' callback, certainly, alongside some washed out lighting and plenty of egregious product placement," Loughrey wrote. "All are, unfortunately, present in The Devil Wears Prada 2 – get ready to play a hypercapitalist Where's Wally? with all the snuck-in Diet Coke cans. Yet the sequel has also seemingly come out of nowhere to deliver what might be the most trenchant, committed portrait made about the state of contemporary journalism."
The film has also performed strongly at the box office, earning more on its first day in the US than the original The Devil Wears Prada did over its entire three-day opening weekend. As of writing, the sequel has grossed $115 million, already surpassing its reported $100 million production budget.
