James Cameron boldly declares special effects in Avatar: The Way Of Water trump Marvel films

After more than a decade in the works, the much-anticipated sequel to the epic science fiction film Avatar (2009) is set to premiere in theaters on December 16.

As part of the promotional push, director and co-writer James Cameron has been talking up the look of Avatar: The Way Of Water, which comes courtesy of extensive motion capture technology.

In a recent interview with ComicBook.com, Cameron went as far as to declare that ‘it’s not even close’ when you compare the special effects in the Avatar sequel and Marvel’s own VFX work in recent films like Avengers: Endgame.

James Cameron offered high praise for the special effect work in Avatar: The Way Of Water and that it trumps the VFX used in marvel films

‘I just want to say ahead of time that I’m not going to diss the Marvel or DC Universe. Love those movies. Let’s just get that off the table,’ Cameron, 68, began off the top of the interview.

The acclaimed filmmaker, who has often been critical of superhero films, couldn’t help himself and proceeded to do exactly that: diss the special effects of recent Marvel films.

Initially, he applauded the overall quality of the special effects work being done by various artists, which in turn serves as motivation for everyone to step up their game.

‘Obviously the big comic book films have been driving the sheer volume of the industry, right. And the rising tide of technique raises everybody together. It gives you higher quality artists, more tools and plug-ins and code [to use]. You’ve got more talented people writing code out there,’ the Oscar winner explained.

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Top notch: James Cameron applauded the overall quality of the special effects work being done by various artists, which in turn serves as motivation for everyone to step up their game

Going to bat for Avatar: ‘Thanos? Come on. Give me a break. You saw [Avatar: The Way of Water]. It’s not even close. It’s what WETA did,’ Cameron declared when comparing the VFX work on the Avatar sequel and recent Marvel films like Avengers: Infinity War

‘Our team at WETA Digital is constantly having new hires, and it’s coming out of that pool so it improves everything,’ he added. ‘That said, WETA Effects, as it’s now known is the best! Right? Industrial Light & Magic does great work, but when it comes to the kind of emotive facial stuff that we’re doing. ‘Thanos (Josh Brolin)? Come on. Give me a break. You saw [Avatar: The Way of Water]. It’s not even close. It’s what WETA did.’

The Way Of Water is said to take place more than a decade after the events of the first movie, following Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) as he continues to roam the planet of Pandora with his new family with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). 

The story also focuses on the trouble that follows the Sully family, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

Premise: The Way Of Water is said to take place more than a decade after the events of the first movie, following Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) as he continues to roam the planet of Pandora with his new family with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana)

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Cast: The epic film also stars Sigourney Weaver, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Edie Falco, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Oona Chaplin, Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis

The epic film also stars Sigourney Weaver, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Edie Falco, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Oona Chaplin, Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis. 

The original Avatar has the distinction of being the highest grossing film of all time, grossing a whopping $2.922 billion at the worldwide box office against a $237 million budget.

Cameron plans on releasing three more sequels in 2024, 2026 and 2028, respectively, although the latter two will depend on the commercial reception of The Way Of Water, which had a budget of between $350–400 million.

After a slew of theatrical release date changes, Avatar: The Way of Water will now premiere on December 16.

More to come: Cameron plans on releasing three more sequels in 2024, 2026 and 2028, respectively, although the latter two will depend on the commercial reception of The Way Of Water, which had a budget of between $350–400 million