Batman v Superman Was a "Piece of Sh*t," Mel Gibson Says

In a wide-ranging interview with Deadline, actor and director Mel Gibson was asked for his thoughts on summer blockbusters that can cost $200 million or more do make. Do they really have to be that expensive, the site asked? In his response, Gibson brought up the superhero team-up movie Batman v Superman, which he called a "piece of sh*t," even after Warner spent a quarter of a billion dollars on it.

"I look at them and scratch my head," Gibson said about movies that have $200 million-plus budgets. "I'm really baffled by it. I think there's a lot of waste, but maybe if I did one of those things with the green screens I'd find out different. I don't know. Maybe they do cost that much. I don't know. It seems to me that you could do it for less."

The interviewer pointed out that, even with a massive budget, the backend benefits can be huge if the movie turns out to be a hit. "That's the game, isn’t it?" Gibson replied.

"I mean, if you're spending outrageous amounts of money, $180 million or more, I don't know how you make it back after the tax man gets you, and after you give half to the exhibitors," he added.

After the interviewer said Batman v Superman's budget was around $250 million, not counting marketing, Gibson broke in to offer his take: "And it's a piece of sh*t."

"I'm not interested in the stuff. Do you know what the difference between real superheroes and comic book superheroes is?" he asked. "Real superheroes didn't wear spandex. So I don't know. Spandex must cost a lot."

Gibson has not directed what might be considered a big-budget movie. He made Apocalypto for around $30 million, he said in the interview, while The Passion of the Christ was made for the same figure, according to Box Office Mojo. His Oscar-winning Bravehart had an estimated production budget of $72 million. His newest movie, Hacksaw Ridge, cost around $40 million to make.

The war movie starring Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving, Sam Worthington, and Vince Vaughn is his first time back in the director's chair since 2006's Apocalypto. The movie opens in November.

You can read the full Deadline interview here. It's absolutely fascinating.

In other news about Gibson and superheroes, the actor recently revealed he turned down the role of Thor's father, Odin; the part eventually went to Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins. Additionally, according to Iron Man 3 director Shane Black, Robert Downey Jr. would like Gibson to direct a new Iron Man film.