Adi Shankar, showrunner of the animated Devil May Cry, criticized Hollywood's modern approach to working with well-known franchises. In an interview with GamesRadar+, the producer stated that the industry is increasingly suffering from "Marvel-ification" — a collective approach to art where endless interference from producers and managers erases the author's unique style.
Shankar believes he was lucky because Netflix and Capcom gave him enough freedom to realize his own vision.
"Netflix and Capcom say, 'You have a vision, go and make it happen.' That's very rare these days. But I came from the film world, and everyone who mentored me was a true auteur."
The first season of the anime adaptation of Devil May Cry, under his direction, also turned out to be highly authorial. Shankar took key elements of the franchise as a basis and reinterpreted them, which caused a lot of criticism from devoted fans — the show has a mixed audience rating of 66% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, some of the audience saw a more subtle and layered satire in the series.
The second season, apparently, will also cause controversy. The continuation will focus on the confrontation between Dante and his brother Vergil against the backdrop of a brewing war between humans and demons.
The second season premieres on Netflix on May 12.