Pegg: I’m a nerd and proud

Simon Pegg has insisted he doesn’t think science fiction movies are at all childish.

The 45-year-old actor, who is currently co-writing the script for 2016 release Star Trek Beyond with Doug Jung, hit headlines on Tuesday when it was revealed he claimed superhero films were “dumbing down” the industry.

However, Simon has revealed his comments were taken out of context, as he in fact is a big fan of the genre.

“The ‘dumbing down’ comment came off as a huge generalisation by an A-grade a**horn,” Simon said in a new post on his blog, entitled Big Mouth Strikes Again. “I did not mean that science fiction or fantasy are dumb, far from it. How could I say that' In the words of Han Solo, ‘Hey, it’s me!’ In the last two weeks, I have seen two brilliant exponents of the genre. Ex Machina and Mad Max: Fury Road, both of which had my head spinning in different and wonderful ways and are both very grown up films.

“I guess what I meant was, the more spectacle becomes the driving creative priority, the less thoughtful or challenging the films can become. The spectacle of Mad Max is underpinned not only multiple layers of plot and character but also by an almost lost cinematic sense of ‘how did they do that'’ The best thing art can do is make you think, make you re-evaluate the opinions you thought were yours.”

Simon concluded the lengthy blog by summing up his feelings about the films.

“I love Science Fiction and fantasy and do not think it’s all childish,” he began his three bullet points.

“I do not think it is all generated by dominant forces as a direct means of control…much,” he added before finishing with: “I am still a nerd and proud.”