Ray Winstone claims Marvel is causing fewer “cultural films” to be made

Posted On August 20, 2025August 20, 2025

Ray Winstone has criticised the state of the modern movie industry, claiming fewer “cultural films” are being made in Hollywood due to Marvel’s box office dominance.

At the Sarajevo Film Festival, where he received the ‘Honorary Heart of Sarajevo’, Winstone claimed Hollywood is now “all about selling tickets”.

He added (per Variety), “We see what’s happening in Hollywood with Marvel and all that kind of stuff… There is room for it, and it’s fun, but it takes away from getting cultural films made, which are best for the actors, (and) are really good acting parts. It’s getting more and more difficult to do that.”

The English actor then recalled his own Marvel experience on Black Widow, explaining, “We used to get applauded on set. It was probably the best thing I’ve done for a really long time.” However, Winstone was later asked to reshoot all of the scenes, which led to him unsuccessfully offering his resignation from the movie.

Winstone continued: “I was contracted, so I had to do it. I go back, they do my hair all nice, put me in the suit, and I couldn’t do it. I’d already done it. I thought, ‘I’m not doing it now. I’ve done it. That’s how it’s going to be.’ That’s rejection, you know? There’s nothing worse than doing something, leaving it on the floor, and then being told it’s not right.”

The Nil By Mouth actor also lamented how having a large social media presence can lead to actors securing roles rather than talent, sharing, “If you’re not on social media now, they might not even consider you for a movie because they want a fanbase to come with that.”

Later in the talk, he said, “You have to go on Instagram, and I don’t want to go on fucking Instagram. I don’t know if it’s a good thing, but if it brings people to the cinema and creates new jobs, then I’ll do it. But I’d like to see more cultural films being made, that’s where good cinema is.”

Winstone’s upcoming projects include the second season of Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen on Netflix and a biopic on snooker player Jimmy White, which he called “really brilliant” while speaking in Sarajevo.

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