Chloé Zhao Defends Superhero Movies At Venice: 'Don't Write Off Stories'

Chloé Zhao is refusing to let critics dismiss superhero cinema. The Oscar-winning filmmaker took the stage at the Venice Film Festival for a wide-ranging career masterclass, where she delivered a firm defense of comic-book adaptations and popular storytelling. Addressing the longstanding debate over whether blockbuster superhero movies count as legitimate cinema, Zhao argued that audience enjoyment and narrative value should not be dictated by highbrow pretension. According to reports from the festival panel, she urged the film industry not to write off narrative projects simply because traditional institutions refuse to classify them as high art.

Why Did Chloe Zhao Direct Eternals?

Zhao famously bridged the gap between indie prestige and mainstream spectacle when she helmed Marvel Studios’ *Eternals*, directly following her Best Director Oscar win for *Nomadland*. For the auteur, leaping into major franchise filmmaking was a natural extension of her lifelong affection for graphic storytelling rather than a corporate detour. Her connection to the medium runs deeper than most Hollywood filmmakers. During her festival talk, Zhao shared that her earliest creative ambitions had nothing to do with camera lenses or movie sets. Growing up, her ultimate dream was to create manga.

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What Did Chloe Zhao Say At Venice Film Festival?

However, her path to the director's chair opened up only after she realized her illustration skills could not match her visual imagination. Zhao recalled with a laugh that she simply was not up to standard when it came to drawing, leading her to seek another way to bring her ideas to life. Because her passion was grounded in building characters and narrative arcs, she pivoted toward filmmaking as her primary outlet. That desire to tell impactful stories ultimately carried her from indie festival darling to the helm of a massive superhero epic. By defending comic-book narratives at one of the world's most prestigious cinema events, Zhao reminded film lovers that compelling mythology comes in many formats. Whether printed on panel paper or projected onto massive screens, good stories deserve real respect.