Ant-Man 3 VFX artists blame Marvel “greed” for “shortcuts”

According to the VFX artists behind Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Marvel reportedly diverted resources to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, resulting in “shortcuts” and shoddy effects.

One word can sum up the effects woes on Ant-Man 3: MODOK, the dodgy floating head played by Corey Stoll. Against a backdrop that looks like an AI-generated Starry Night, most of Quantumania looks a bit messy.

Of course, behind-the-scenes VFX issues aren’t new for the MCU. Amid the earlier backlash to She-Hulk’s CGI, one technician called out the studio’s “bullying power” and how they’re “pixel-f*cked” on each project.

With the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and the criticism raised at its effects, the movie’s workers have opened up about why “shortcuts” were taken.

Ant-Man 3 VFX artists explain shortcuts

In an interview with Vulture, two VFX artists said resources were diverted to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with the Ant-Man 3 team left understaffed and forced to work overtime.

“This was like a second wave of what happened with James Cameron on Titanic, where the compositors were basically taking naps under their desks, because there wasn’t enough time between shifts to go back home, then come back,” one said.

“Now, the entirety of the industry that has been touched by Marvel is permanently seared, and that’s what’s causing the most burnout.”

Another visual effects technician explained how Marvel made “a lot of editorial changes” to the film that caused “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?’ 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,” they said.

“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.”

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is in cinemas now, and you can check out more of our coverage below…

Ant-Man 3 review | Ending explained | Quantumania characters and cast | Who is Kang the Conqueror? | Ant-Man 3 Easter Eggs | Darren Cross as MODOK explained | Has Kang already killed an Avenger? | Who is Victor Timely? | Bill Murray’s character explained |  What is the Quantum Realm? | Post-credit scenes explained | Will there be an Ant-Man 4? | All the Marvel movies in order