Samurai Jack actor fires back at fans, critics over finale: ‘You didn’t write it or create it’

To say that fans were divided by the series finale to Samurai Jack would be a bit of an understatement, but Phil LaMarr has said that at the end of the day, the series doesn’t belong to them.

LaMarr was a guest on the Namek vs. Saiyan podcast, as discovered by The Hollywood Reporter, where he was asked about the negative reaction some fans gave. LaMarr said the show never belonged to fans or critics. All that mattered, he argued, was that creator Genndy Tartakovksy got the ending he had been waiting more than a decade for.

“Last time I checked, you didn’t write it or create or draw it, so I don’t know why it would be exactly what you wanted," he said, addressing fans and critics. "It’s what Genndy wanted. You wouldn't say, 'I think the Mona Lisa would be better if she just smiled. Come on, Da Vinci, lighten up. Go in and redo it.’”

LaMarr, who voices Jack, added that he believed the series was a “work of art” and was immensely proud to be a part of it. The fifth season, which aired more than a decade after the fourth season, was much darker than the original series. With the move from Cartoon Network to Adult Swim, the series was also abel to indulge in more explicit relationships and language — a change that took some fans time to get used to.

For the most part, both fans and critics were taken with the series, but some argued that the finale felt rushed and didn’t provide the cathartic ending many were looking for.

For more coverage on Samurai Jack’s fifth season, be sure to check out Polygon’s coverage of it.