Did Harvey Weinstein Block Mainstream Films From Getting Oscars? Joe Russo Claims Movies Were 'Vilified'

Find out what Joe Russo revealed about Harvey Weinstein allegedly preventing blockbuster films from winning the Academy Award in the past.

Written by Sakshi Shelke , Entertainment Journalist

Updated on Mar 17, 2025 | 08:24 AM GMT | 7.5K

Harvey Weistein (CC: Getty Images)

Marvel directors Joe and Anthony Russo know how to speak their minds, and Joe recently shared his thoughts on why popular films are snubbed at the Oscars despite box office success.

In an interview with the UK’s Sunday Times, Joe alleged, “This trend started with Harvey Weinstein. He vilified mainstream movies to champion the art films he backed for Oscar campaigns. Popular films were winning Oscars before the mid-90s, then Weinstein started mudslinging campaigns."

Joe also claimed that the disgraced producer's campaigns impacted how people view the Academy Awards, noting that many voters “haven’t seen most of the movies” nominated for Oscars.

He continued, saying that instead of enjoying things collectively, people are “punching each other in the face over” them.

Over the years, Marvel has built a massive fan base with its unique storylines and impressive VFX, leaving a lasting imprint on audiences.

For context, in 2022, Roland Emmerich, the director of Independence Day, reportedly claimed in an interview with Independent UK that Marvel, Star Wars, and DC films were “ruining” the movie industry to some extent.

It seems that Joe Russo disagreed with this statement, as he had a completely different perspective. In his conversation with the Sunday Times, he addressed the criticism, saying, “This argument that Marvel movies were killing cinema—well, Marvel movies seemed to be keeping cinemas open for quite a long time.”

Many other acclaimed filmmakers, including Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and Francis Ford Coppola, have also criticized such films over the years.