While Brad Pitt is currently basking in the success of F1, his latest box office hit, the two-time Oscar winner has some reservations about Hollywood’s ongoing obsession with franchises. Speaking candidly on the New Heights podcast, Pitt reflected on the evolving mindset of actors and offered a warning to younger performers eager to jump into the world of superheroes and long-running cinematic universes.
“I like watching what the new generations are coming in with. I like to see what they’re up against and also the way they negotiate their way through it,” Pitt said, noting how younger actors appear to embrace the industry more freely. But he contrasted that with how things were when he started out: “We were a little more uptight—and had to be—about acting. You didn’t sell out.”
Today’s industry, he says, feels more expansive and open to experimentation, with younger artists branching into multiple fields. Still, Pitt expressed concern over the growing belief that success hinges on landing a franchise gig. “This idea they also get caught up in—they have to have a franchise or have to [be] a superhero or something… I keep going, ‘Don’t, don’t.’ You’ll die.”
Ironically, these comments come as F1, Pitt’s high-octane racing film directed by Joseph Kosinski, sped to a $57 million domestic debut and over $146 million globally. The film also stars Damson Idris, a rising actor who, according to rumours, could join the Black Panther franchise. Pitt joked that Idris gave him “a lot of old man jokes” on set, underscoring the generational gap he referenced in his podcast appearance.
Despite his aversion to franchises, Pitt hasn’t ruled out returning to F1 for a sequel. Speaking to The National, he admitted, “I would want to drive again, selfishly speaking,” though he emphasised that future stories should focus on Idris’s character, Joshua Pierce. “F1 is still the focus. It needs to be on Joshua Pierce and the rest of the team fighting for a championship,” he said.
Pitt is also reuniting with director David Fincher for The Adventures of Cliff Booth, a spin-off of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood that sees him reprise his role as the laid-back stuntman. While technically a continuation, it’s a character-driven project more in line with his sensibilities than traditional franchise fare.