Los Angeles: Karen Gillan is the latest Marvel star to come forward in support of the Marvel Cinematic Universe after veteran filmmaker Martin Scorsese dubbed the films as "theme parks" experience, saying these movies have a heart and soul.
The actor, who plays Nebula in the Guardians of the Galaxy series, said the MCU films defined storytelling with visuals.
"I would absolutely say that Marvel movies are cinema. Cinema is storytelling with visuals," Gillan told The Hollywood Reporter.
She said the Guardian series was a true embodiment of director James Gunn's personality. Gunn was one of the first Hollywood names to respond to Scorsese's remarks, saying he was "saddened" by the director's opinion.
"There's so much heart and soul, and it's James' soul in there. He injects so much of his own personality, his sense of humour... that's a very big representation of who he is as a person and therefore it's very cinematic. He's an artiste," Gillan added.
In a recent interview, Scorsese had said that MCU movies don't serve the purpose of cinema and were rather a theme park adventure.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker said he had seen some of the Marvel Studios projects and found them lacking on the "emotional and psychological experiences".
Previously, Samuel L Jackson, Joss Whedon, Peter Ramsey and Leigh Whannell also responded to Scorsese's comments.