I did not know Cronenberg said that. He does know that A History of Violence (his best film in the last 20 years) was based on a comic book, right? Oh excuse me, "graphic novel."
I do agree with the notion that a superhero is juvenile in its inception, but that does not mean it cannot be elevated to something more. I wouldn't argue The Avengers should be recognized for Best Picture, but I think The Dark Knight was the best film of 2008 and The Dark Knight Rises is certainly one of the 10 best movies of 2012 (though not near the top, IMO).
But I am not surprised by such snobbery. It took forever for LOTR to be recognized. And I think the only horror film to be recognized was Black Swan, because it was about ballet and the acting and images were astounding. Still, it is surprising to hear Cronenberg be the voice of such narrow-mindedness. This is a man who spent much of his early career trying, and usually succeeding, in elevating horror into art with movies like The Fly and The Dead Zone. Horror is in itself a mass consumed genre that usually aims for the lowest denominator. But I doubt he would speak so lowly of films that have elevated it, including his own.
That is very surprising.