Brad Pitt Says Young Actors ‘Get Caught Up’ in the Pressure to ‘Have a Superhero’ or ‘Have a Franchise’ and Tells Them: ‘Don’t! Don’t! They’ll Die’

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Brad Pitt joined Travis and Jason Kelce on the “New Heights” podcast during his “F1” promotional tour and spoke about his affection and worry for the next generation of young actors. The Oscar winner said he enjoys watching new talent rise the ranks in Hollywood, although he did not name any young stars in particular. However, he encourages them not to succumb to industry pressures that did not exist when Pitt became a star — namely, the need to join a franchise or make a superhero movie.

“I like watching what the new generation is coming in with,” Pitt said. “I like to see what they are up against and the way they negotiate and work their way through it. They enjoy it more. We were more uptight and it had to be about acting… like, you didn’t sell out, you didn’t sell out. But now it’s like, ‘We can be artists in many different arenas, so let’s do it and let’s enjoy it.’ But they also get caught up in you ‘have to have a franchise’ or ‘have to have a superhero.’ But I keep saying, ‘Don’t! Don’t! They’ll die.”

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When the Kelce brothers noted that getting sucked up in franchise fare or comic book movies can lead to exhaustion for young actors, Pitt agreed and said it can be a killer.

While Pitt notably had a cameo in “Deadpool 2,” he has avoided superhero movies otherwise and has mostly steered clear of big Hollywood franchises outside of his “Ocean’s” trilogy with George Clooney and Matt Damon. He shares a similar mindset with that of his “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, who famously advised Timothée Chalamet during his ascent to fame not to join any superhero movies. Chalamet has listened to DiCaprio, although he did tell The New York Timesthat it all depends on the script.

“Well, Leonardo DiCaprio said to me, ‘No superhero movies, no hard drugs.’ Which I thought was very good,” Chalamet said. “I follow them both! But the movie that made me want to act is a superhero movie, ‘The Dark Knight.’ If the script was great, if the director was great, I’d have to consider it.”

As for franchises, Pitt could be getting a new one amid the success of “F1.” The racing film opened to Apple’s biggest opening weekend yet, and sources told Variety that a sequel is already being discussed. He’s also reprising his “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” role for a new sequel at Netflix directed by David Fincher.

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