James Cameron claimed that in terms of motion capture and producing emotive expressions, Marvel is “not even close” to the visual effects of Avatar: The Way of the Water.
Cameron was asked in an interview with ComicBook.com whether the increase in superhero movies since the 2009 release of the first Avatar movie had raised the bar for visual effects.
Motion capture, visual effects, and computer-generated animation are extensively used in Avatar: The Way of Water, which distinguishes it visually from previous works. The filmmaker has previously criticized the MCU and DC films for the characters’ lack of emotional stakes, but while discussing the VFX work, he stated, “I just want to declare ahead of time that I’m not going to disparage the Marvel or DC Universe.”
He added that the enormous comic book movies “drive the sheer volume of the market.” “The rising tide of technique rises everyone together,” Cameron said. It provides you with additional tools, plug-ins, and code and artists of greater caliber. There are more skilled programmers out there. WETA Digital’s staff “constantly has fresh employees, and it’s coming out of that pool, so it enhances everything,” he continued. It should be mentioned that WETA Digital and Digital Domain collaborated on the MCU’s major antagonist Thanos for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. However, he praised his crew for their efforts on the Avatar visual effects, adding,
Jake and Neytiri are shown with the family they have built over the previous ten years in Avatar: The Way of Water. They have now been driven out of the Pandora forests and into the ocean by the danger of resurrected humans. To be ready for the coming battle, they band together with the water tribes and study their customs. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, and other A-list actors appear in the film.
On December 16, Avatar: The Way of Water makes its premiere.