Simon Pegg has slammed superhero movies as "childish" and suggested the genre is "dumbing down" the film industry.
The 45-year-old actor, best-known for his work in the likes of Star Trek, Mission Impossible and Shaun Of The Dead, insists moviegoers' obsession with science fiction is causing society to become "infantilised".
Discussing the issue in an interview with this week's edition of Radio Times magazine, the British star said comic book and superhero films were taking cinematic focus away from important issues.
"Part of me looks at society as it is now and just thinks we've been infantilised by our own taste.
"Now we're essentially consuming very childish things - comic books, superheroes... Adults are watching this stuff and taking it seriously."
The father-of-one, who has been married to his wife Maureen, a former music industry PR, for 10 years, explained he didn't know whether the emphasis on spectacle was necessarily a good thing.
"It is kind of dumbing it down in a way,' he said. "Because it's taking our focus away from real-world issues.
"Films used to be about challenging, emotional journeys or moral questions.
"Now we're walking out of the cinema really not thinking about anything, other than the fact the Hulk just had a fight with a robot."
Pegg has appeared in a variety of films from Mission: Impossible III to comedy Run, Fatboy, Run.
He played chief engineer Scotty in Star Trek Into Darkness, released in 2013.
The actor recently gave away that Daniel Craig would be appearing in the next installment of the franchise as a stormtrooper.
The Bond hunk is playing a small cameo but won't be showing his face.
Pegg also revealed last week he had bagged his first romantic lead as a sought-after catch in Man Up, saying he hopes to move on from science fiction.
In the frank interview he said about the role: "I didn't want to just become a slobby husband.
"I thought I might as well try and stay fresh and keep her interested."
- Daily Mail