Marvel banned smoking in films

[Lantern Venom]

Well, that seems like precisely the kind of thing they'd want to avoid. You want to avoid a smoking role model if you can help it. "

This is my exact problem with the ban: it's arbitrary. It rings hollow when arguably the centerpiece of Marvel's cinematic franchise, Iron Man, has such a hedonistic past. By no means do I support smoking (never had a cig in my life), but it's quite odd to me that Disney is so concerned about this when they don't have a problem promoting a character with such a spotty moral past as Tony Stark.

 

[Flint Marko]

They've sort of glazed over Tony's morally spotty past. They do a good job of making it clear without explicitly depicting his depravity.

 

[Mike Murdock]

I forget about that one. I think that maybe the only one. After credit scene too.

Technically, it wasn't after credits. The Incredible Hulk had no after-credits scene. The scene occurs just before the credits even though it's clear the movie proper has ended.

 

[hellblazer103]

Personally I think it's great. Smoking is one of the most dangerous things in the world, and I think smokers are nasty people. If they want to smoke, they can do it in their own basement with their scary pals. I don't think it's nice to smoke in front of normal people, did you know that you could kill them? I'm starting to cry over here! It's amazing that so many people are okay with this kind of primitive and sick behavior!!!!! Smokers should be in concentration camps for attempted murder. Maybe even exterminated like the inhuman bastards they are. I pray to you, Obama...make it happen!

No, I think it's stupid as hell. I read comics and saw movies with smoking in them, but I never wanted to smoke myself. Disney films are full of things that are worse than smoking.

 

[ernesth100]

The fact that this is such a big issue for some is disturbing.

 

[MbJ]

The fact that this is such a big issue for some is disturbing.

I think some people look for reasons to get mad. It's like I said, I didn't even notice that Jessica never smoked until someone here brought it up. It's a non-issue.

 

[MaxEisenhardt]

That has to be one of the stupidest things I have heard in a while. I have been watching Westerns since I was five, films where the use of drugs and alcohol is absurd, and yet I have never drunk a drop of liquor nor smoked cigars in my entire life, I imagine the same is true for a lot of people. Now they come with this excuse of affecting kids? Sure, having drugs or not in a film bothers me none, but the reason behind it sounds superficial and far-fetched.

 

[Boy Scout]

I think it'd be more sensible to reference the fact that smoking is a terrible habit to pick up instead of banning it altogether. If the company is afraid of glamorizing smoking, then just don't glamorize it. Everyone is aware of how bad smoking is for you. In this day and age, it's impossible not to know. A dashing rogue in a one-piece isn't going to convince the average person to smoke unless they wanted to do it anyway.

 

[The_Manhunter]

Good. I hate smoking, I hope to see it banned in real life some day too.

 

[Flint Marko]

I could be wrong but I believe there was some sort of gag, maybe in Agent Carter or Jessica Jones, where a supporting character started smoking but the protagonist threw the cigarette away or something along those lines. I remember watching it a few weeks ago and thought of this thread but I can't remember what it was.

 

[BoredGuy]

The fact that this is such a big issue for some is disturbing.

Good. I hate smoking, I hope to see it banned in real life some day too.

seems the anti-smoking camp gets MUCH more heated about the issue than pro-smokers

As a smoker, I could care less whether they put it in the films or not
but anti-smokers? They'll scream about the evils of that filthy tar the second a Marlboro sign appears

 

[The_Manhunter]

seems the anti-smoking camp gets MUCH more heated about the issue than pro-smokers

As a smoker, I could care less whether they put it in the films or not
but anti-smokers? They'll scream about the evils of that filthy tar the second a Marlboro sign appears

Yes we will, because in addition to harming the smoker, it harms us as well.

 

[BoredGuy]

just seeing smoking in a movie causes cancer?
hmm, damn, didn't know that

 

[The Dark Nave]

I'm sure someone covered this already, but we saw Constantine smoking on TV very recently, and I don't think everyone started smoking/got cancer because of it.

 

[wampa1]

No smoking in these movies really detracts from the realism of giant green monsters, aliens, Gods and enhanced supermen.

 

[Zarex]

Smoking could be a really cool way to distinguish the fledgling DCEU from the stupid kiddy MCU. Think of how minds will be blown at this ending to BvS:

Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are standing over the corpse of Doomsday along with millions of Metropolis citizens. The Dark Knight Detective opens up his utility belt to reveal an undamaged pack of Camel unfiltereds - it's the hard pack that protects the cigarettes and seals in the flavor. He lights two and offers one to Wondy who greedily inhales that satisfying North Carolina tobacco flavor. Batman then reaches over to offer a peace offering to Superman - and sees that he is already contentedly puffing on a Marlboro! "Not my brand" says Clark, "Can't we agree on anything?".

They all laugh - the first and last time in the movie the three crack a smile - and trudged through the carnage side by side to a better future.

Fini

 

[The Dark Nave]

No smoking in these movies really detracts from the realism of giant green monsters, aliens, Gods and enhanced supermen.

I see what you did there

 

[TheVileOne]

Thing is, I'm an anti-smoker, but I think in terms of art it should be OK to depict smokers in films. I mean it doesn't have to be depicted as a likable habit.

It's weird to me that it's OK for James Bond or Wolverine to be killers who tear people to shreds, even if they are bad guys, but if they enjoy a nice cigar:

 

[Wildcard]

As a smoker myself, I don't see a big deal here. But it's a little irrelevant once you notice the act will still continue to take place in their comics. Even in the cosmic based stories you can find references or actual instances of smoking.

Regardless, it's not going to affect anything. Seeing someone smoking in a movie isn't going to suddenly make a non-smoker smoke just like not seeing smoking in movies isn't going to make a smoker quit.

 

[frostanon]

Well my dad and aunt once told me they started smoking cause' of charismatic movie characters. So I think Marvel is right.

 

[Typhoon22]

Good on Marvel. A lot of kids watch these movies and it might have a bad influence on them. Not everyone has great parents.

 

[Dasher10]

Good on Marvel. A lot of kids watch these movies and it might have a bad influence on them. Not everyone has great parents.

I think it's more than just that. It's also that smoking on film in a contemporary setting is unrealistic since it's now considered impolite to smoke in public.

 

[Rocky89]

One shouldn't smoke in the cinema anyway.

 

[MarvelFan]

It is understandable since Disney now owns Marvel Studios...

 

[Lantern Venom]

They've sort of glazed over Tony's morally spotty past. They do a good job of making it clear without explicitly depicting his depravity.

They don't show the specific sexual acts (thank goodness!) but Iron Man 3 addressed that fact that he went through a long period of using women and stomping on their feelings.