There’s no surprise that working in the visual effects department for a Marvel Studios project is no fun. Reports have come out about the hard schedule and unfair pressure, but the latest news is even more shocking.
Vulture recently published a story where multiple post-production workers on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania said the studio threw down unrealistic demands resulting in “80-hour weeks and tension between workers”. If you’ve seen the film, the subpar results are on screen for the world to see, but the artists are not taking it lying down anymore.
In a new report from Vulture, the artists, using pseudonyms, told their side of the story. They go as far as to say they were “severely understaffed” during the latest Ant-Man sequel as they had to adhere to an “unrealistically short deadline.” Some of the staff even diverted their attention to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which Marvel reportedly saw as the priority.
“For Ant-Man, there were a lot of editorial changes happening toward the latter third and fourth of the project that were just too late,” said Jim. “There’s a point of no return. Why certain things were changed, why certain notes were nitpicked longer than they should have been – that’s on Marvel. But it definitely did cause a lot of tension, turmoil, and weight on everybody.”
“A lot of us are sitting here thinking, ‘The money is there. Why is it not coming down?'” Jim continued. “Marvel spending a bit more money to pay more VFX people wouldn’t make that much of a difference for the executives all the way at the top. But if it comes down to them not being comfortable with their bank numbers and us working until burnout, we lose out every time. Honestly, I equate it to human greed.”
SEE ALSO: Multiple VFX artists speak out against Marvel’s unrealistic demands
The artists conclude with the negative reviews are a sign that audiences are seeing how poorly things are being run. “I think the movie is getting the reviews it’s been getting because Marvel is doubling down as much as possible on constricting quality,” they said. “They’re squeezing blood out of stones. And we’re out of blood.”
In Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Together, with Hope’s parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania sees Peyton Reed returning to the director’s chair and stars Paul Rudd (Scott Lang/Ant-Man), Evangeline Lilly (Hope Van Dyne/The Wasp), Michael Douglas (Hank Pym), Michelle Pfeiffer (Janet Van Dyne), Corey Stoll (Darren Cross/MODOK), Kathryn Newton (Cassie Lang), Jonathan Majors (Kang the Conqueror), Bill Murray (Krylar), David Dastmalchian (Veb), Katy O’Brian (Jentorra) and William Jackson Harper (Quaz).
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is in cinemas now.
