Meryl Streep has taken a swipe at the Marvel Cinematic Universe while promoting the long-awaited sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2, suggesting that modern superhero films have made cinema “boring”.
Speaking in a recent interview alongside co-stars Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt, the 76-year-old Oscar winner claimed that the film industry has a tendency to “Marvel-ize” stories by stripping away character depth.
She argued that the genre often relies on flat depictions of good versus evil, whereas the “messier” reality of life and more nuanced films like her latest project offer a far more realistic and interesting view.
Streep explained that she finds the complexity of human nature far more compelling than the traditional superhero tropes found in franchises like Iron Man or Captain America.
She noted that what makes a story truly interesting is when heroes are flawed and villains are human, possessing their own unique strengths.
It is this lack of simplicity that she enjoys about returning to the world of high fashion, noting that the sequel manages to locate something true about how the business has changed in the twenty years since the original 2006 film was released.
Beyond critiquing the state of cinema, the cast also shared their thoughts on the rise of artificial intelligence in the workplace.
When asked if Miranda Priestly would ever use AI, Streep joked that her character simply has assistants for such tasks.
Anne Hathaway added a warning for job seekers, revealing she had caught several applicants using ChatGPT to write thank-you notes, which she found “hilarious” and transparent.
Streep was less amused by the trend, calling it “tragic” and urging young women to hold onto their humanity, famously adding that since “the future is female,” they shouldn’t let technology replace their individual voices.
