Avatar 2 has finally released its teaser trailer. Avatar: The Way of Water is all set to open up a whole new genre of sci-fi. James Cameron started a 3D revolution in Hollywood with 2009’s Avatar. With a stellar cast and gripping visual effects, 2009’s Avatar almost made up for its lack of a proper script. It is still counted as one of the highest grossing movies of all time. There was a time when James Cameron’s Avatar sat on the Box Office Iron Throne when it was usurped by Avengers: Endgame. Avatar later got back its top dog spot but the damage was done. Cameron has been very wary of the MCU ever since, seeing it as a major threat to his territory.
Avatar 2 will most likely beat multiple records. It will have much more world-building and way more characters. But the one thing that occupies fan minds now is – is Avatar: The Way of Water, just a thinly veiled attempt at Cameron showing the MCU the bird? Let’s find out.
James Cameron Hates The MCU For What It Did To The Avatar Franchise
When Avengers: Endgame hit the theaters, for the first time in a long time, a global phenomenon gripped the world. The magic of Marvel movies was more than enough to attract huge crowds to the theaters. People came to watch it like moth to flames. The only other movie that had managed to pull that off before Endgame was Avatar. James Cameron was undefeated. And then a pesky superhero movie that many longtime directors say hails from a ‘low substance’ franchise, overtook him.
This forced James Cameron and the studio – 20th Century Fox, to re-release the movie in China. Ticket sales in China allowed Avatar to retake its top position. Endgame collected $2,797,501,328 USD. Avatar’s lifetime collection was $2,847,379,794 USD. But the damage was done. Cameron started a campaign of vocal vitriol spilling on the MCU. Many directors followed suit.
Cameron Says MCU Movies “Don’t Feel So Epic”
Well to be frank, everyone has their own choices. Some are a die-hard fanatic of older movies. Some are into modern experimental genres. But in no universe would any person would say that a movie that was based on ten years of intense world-building doesn’t “feel so epic.” James Cameron turned up the heat on the MCU, calling it out for diluting Hollywood.
He is not the only one. Right after Cameron’s comments, many other Directors were emboldened to say something similar. Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s words also went viral. He said Marvel movies aren’t “cinema.” That franchise movies feel more like theme parks rather than actual films. Other directors like Ridley Scott, Francis Ford Coppola, and David Cronenberg have also spoken out.
Avatar 2 Will Use Groundbreaking Underwater Technology
There seems to be specific pattern in almost all James Cameron films. Every movie he makes needs to incorporate something really cutting edge. Cameron’s previous movies like Titanic and The Abyss are perfect examples. Titanic used massive non-green screen live action sets that Hollywood was not used to before. The Abyss used such groundbreaking CGI it even puts some modern movies to shame.
Avatar used 3D CGI visual effects that gave it a competitive edge. It was this move that made fans go to the theaters to watch this 3D Hollywood revolution unfold. Avatar 2, or Avatar: The Way of Water, will use similar CGI tech. The Ocean, which has been an underlying theme in James Cameron’s movies (Titanic, Piranha II, The Spawning, The Abyss), will be the primary focus in the film. This use of cutting edge underwater CGI tech seems like Cameron trying to up the ante. The MCU is known for its CGI treats. But James Cameron wants to show the world that his movies too can do it, and they can do it way better.
Will he manage to get there? Will Avatar 2 beat all MCU movies and occupy the first position in global box office collections? James Cameron certainly thinks so. But do you feel the same too?
