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With his Avatar sequel finally slated to release at last, part of director James Cameron's marketing scheme seems to be dogging out other big budget movies.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Cameron set his critical eye on comic book and super-hero movies by studios like Marvel and DC, claiming the films are low-quality despite their astronomical box office.
Cameron griped to the Times Marvel's and DC's characters all "act like they're in college" and the films lack authentic relationships.
\u201cJames Cameron Criticizes Marvel and DC Characters: 'They All Act Like They\u2019re in College' and 'Really Don't' Have Relationships https://t.co/pZ93M1Q69z\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1666720262
The once hotly anticipated Avatar sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, has been 13 years in the making.
Speaking to the Times, Cameron described some of what he and the cast, which includes Zoë Saldana, Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver, have been up to all these years, including intense physical training for the actors and lots of work on character development for the script.
He cited the relationships between characters and the sacrifices they make for the greater good as central to fans' love of Avatar stories and claimed they're also what sets them apart from Marvel and DC films.
As he put it:
“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."
"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.”
Cameron joins filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola who have had similar gripes with the big-budget barnstormers Marvel and DC make.
But Cameron's big-budget, action- and special effects-driven popcorn flicks have a lot more in common with Iron Manand Wonder Woman than Raging Bull or The Godfather.
And Avatar wasn't exactly a unanimous success when it released back in 2009, with many critics casting the exact same aspersions on Cameron's film as those he leveled at DC and MCU's output.
As you might expect, his criticisms struck a bit of a sour note with most people on social media.
\u201c@Variety Translation:\n\n"I know NO ONE asked for a sequel to my Smurf Community Theater production of Dances With Wolves. It's bland and you couldn't name a character in it if someone threatened your family. Let me say stuff about something people care about tho."\ud83d\ude44\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1666720262
\u201c@CultureCrave This the same guy who copied and pasted the Disney Pocahontas story, changed it to blue aliens, and called it a day?\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1666768691
\u201c@MCU_Direct Why is he crapping on Marvel? Is he a little worried that #WakandaForever is about to come and smash the box office? Maybe he's a little upset because BP2 is coming out so close to Avatar 2? I smell \ud83d\udc43 a little a nervousness on his end \ud83e\udd37\u200d\u2642\ufe0f.\n\nhttps://t.co/wNoKgHnspm\u201d— MCU - The Direct (@MCU - The Direct) 1666736770
\u201c@CultureCrave Go worry about your below average Avatar movies. People only got hyped about that movie was because of the CGI. It was nothing special\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1666768691
\u201c@MCU_Direct Wanda and Visions relationship is maybe the best story told in any comic book live action media. Rodgers/Carter, Stark/Potts, Widow/Hulk/Hawkeye, Parker/MJ? What is he talking about?\u201d— MCU - The Direct (@MCU - The Direct) 1666736770
\u201c@CultureCrave No one can name more than 1 character from Avatar lol\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1666768691
\u201c@Variety Oh yes, the \u201cI have a movie coming out soon so I better go after superheroes to get my name circulating the trades for a bit\u201d strategy of surprisingly insecure directors.\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1666720262
\u201c@IndieWire He has never watched a single film. Many of these character grow and mature to a point where they have something to lose.\n\nTony Stark had a family.\nAnt-Man has a family.\nClint Barton has a family.\nThor just adopted a child.\nWanda made her kids.\u201d— IndieWire (@IndieWire) 1666747800
\u201c@LightsCameraPod @nytimes Yeah, he is right. Those must have been fake tears we all cried when Natasha sacrificed herself or when Tony snapped away Thanos and his army while also sacrificing himself... Nope, guess we will just feel the emotions of fake giant blue aliens.\u201d— MovieRankings.net (@MovieRankings.net) 1666786658
\u201cDoes james cameron realize that the star of his movie did, in fact, play a very beloved Marvel character who had plenty of complex relationships or\u2026\u201d— Katie Campione (@Katie Campione) 1666721517
Avatar: The Way of Water and its director's superior cinematic relationships land in movie theaters December 16.