AceShowbiz - Filmmakers Joe Russo and Anthony Russo have hit back at Martin Scorsese's criticism of Marvel movies, suggesting the director isn't at liberty to say what is and isn't "cinema".

"The Irishman" director sparked a huge backlash, including from the superhero franchise's stars like Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo, by insisting the movies are "not cinema" in an interview with Britain's Empire magazine.

He later clarified his comments in a piece for The New York Times, claiming he did not want to attack the artistry of those involved but stated the movies are not to his taste and are crowding other types of films out of cinemas.

However, his words didn't sit well with "Avengers: Endgame" directors Joe and Anthony who, after landing the highest-grossing movie of all time with the Marvel flick, take a different approach to their work.

"Ultimately, we define cinema as a film that can bring people together to have a shared, emotional experience," Joe told The Hollywood Reporter. "When we look at the box office (of) 'Avengers: Endgame', we don't see that as a signifier of financial success, we see it as a signifier of emotional success."

"It's a movie that had an unprecedented impact on audiences around the world in the way that they shared that narrative and the way that they experienced it. And the emotions they felt watching it," he added.

Meanwhile, Anthony offered a more direct response to their critic, insisting "nobody owns cinema" and calling out the filmmaker for trying to define the category.

"We don't own cinema. You don't own cinema. Scorsese doesn't own cinema," he affirmed.