If you have “James Cameron Complains About Marvel” on your Bingo card, get your marker ready and give yourself a point. Speaking with Comicbook.com, Cameron shared his less-than-favorable opinion about the quality of Marvel VFX, saying they’re “not even close” to what you’ll see in his upcoming release Avatar: Way of Water. While James Cameron claims to “love” the Marvel Cinematic Universe, his recent barrage of negative comments about superhero cinema tends to contradict his expressions of amour.
When asked about the impact and advancements VFX has experienced in recent years, Cameron agreed that technology has a positive and productive impact on the film industry. “Obviously, the big comic book superhero films have been driving the sheer volume of the industry, and the rising tide of technique raises everybody together. It gives you higher quality artists. You’ve got more tools and plug-ins and code. You’ve got more talented people writing code, and simulations, and all that sort of thing out there,” Cameron said. “Then, as we’re putting our team together, and as Weta Digital is constantly having new hires, it’s coming out of that pool, so it improves everything together.”
While Cameron quickly gives VFX houses like ILM and Weta snaps, he thinks Marvel is a poor display of the art form. “Weta Effects, as it’s now known, is the best. Right? I mean, ILM does great work, but when it comes to the kind of emotive facial stuff that we’re doing…I mean, Thanos? Come on. Give me a break,” Cameron said. “You saw this [new Avatar] movie. It’s not even close.”
Before you start flipping tables, Cameron wants to reassure everyone that he’s “not going to diss Marvel of DC movies, even though he appears to be doing precisely that. “I love those movies,” Cameron insists. “Let’s just get that off the table.”
Cameron talking trash about Marvel and DC movies is nothing new. In October, while speaking with The New York Times, Cameron criticized Marvel and DC movies for featuring underdeveloped characters. “When I look at these big, spectacular films — I’m looking at you, Marvel and DC — it doesn’t matter how old the characters are, they all act like they’re in college,” he said. “They have relationships, but they really don’t. They never hang up their spurs because of their kids. The things that really ground us and give us power, love, and a purpose? Those characters don’t experience it, and I think that’s not the way to make movies.”
Do you agree with Cameron about the quality of Marvel VFX? Has the MCU gotten muddier throughout the years? Are we uncivilized for enjoying the MCU and DCU? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
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