James Cameron is always good for a soundbite, and with the release of Avatar: The Way of Water just over the horizon we can expect quite a few more from the director of the biggest grossing film of all time. With his latest he joins the likes of Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola in criticising aspects of both the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes, claiming that the characters “all act like they’re in college”.
During an interview with The New York Times, in which the Academy Award winning director takes a deep-dive with his cast on their forthcoming blockbuster sequel, Cameron was asked about his risk-taking approach to life, with his answer steering him into critiquing the character motivations found within big superhero movies.
The Terminator director said “I also want to do the thing that other people aren’t doing. 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 spent so long trying to get his own Spider-Man movie off the ground in the 90s, so he clearly has a passion for Peter Parker and the superhero genre, yet he doesn’t appear too impressed with the way these respective universes have dealt with their iconic characters.
It’s probably just a throwaway comment from an enthusiastic director while promoting his own film, but can you think of any examples of MCU or DCEU characters who’d present a counter argument to Cameron’s view on big-budget superhero characters? Let us know by heading to our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
Avatar: The Way of Water is directed by James Cameron and sees Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Matt Gerald, Dileep Rao, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, and Sigourney Weaver all reprising their roles from the 2009 blockbuster, while new additions to the cast include Kate Winslet, Oona Chaplin, Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Filip Geljo, Jamie Flatters, Bailey Bass, Trinity Bliss, Jack Champion, Duane Evans Jr., Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Keston John, and CJ Jones.
Avatar: The Way of Water is set for release on December 16th.
