The new CGI technology in Avatar: The Way of Water is potentially revolutionary for Marvel - especially after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. James Cameron has always loved pushing the boundaries of film-making. He certainly demonstrated that in 2009 with Avatar, which used innovative new 3D technology to spectacular effect and encouraged countless other directors to see the potential of what many had previously seen as nothing more than a gimmick.
Cameron intends the sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, to be just as revolutionary. Water is a notoriously difficult medium for filming in general, with most cinematographers struggling to deal with it, and 3D and mo-cap tech is especially problematic. Cameron's new underwater mo-cap was perfected with the help of the award-winning VFX company Weta Digital, with much of the performance-capture taking place in a custom-built 900,000-gallon tank that could simulate the ocean's swirling currents and crashing waves.
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, and it's clear Cameron's innovations are destined to be imitated. The timing is perfect for Marvel Studios in particular to learn a lot of lessons from Cameron, simply because underwater photography has the potential to become far more important to the MCU after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This will introduce Namor the Sub-Mariner, traditionally portrayed as the ruler of the underwater nation of Atlantis in the comics. The trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever displayed another beautiful underwater environment, and hopefully this aquatic city - renamed Talocan, after the Aztec legend of Tlālōcān - will become a major fixture in the MCU.
James Cameron's Avatar 2 Technology Could Transform Namor & Talocan
Marvel has a history working with Weta Digital, but of course it's far too soon for Cameron's technology to be used in the production of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The tech would no doubt come in very useful going forward, however, given Namor and Atlantis played a major role in the build-up to 2015's epic Secret Wars story - and Marvel has already confirmed Avengers: Secret Wars will serve as the climax of phases 4-6. There should, therefore, be plenty of opportunities to return to Namor the Sub-Mariner.
Marvel has an in-house directing team for VFX shots, so no doubt they'll be watching Avatar: The Way of Water with eager anticipation, hoping to figure out ways they could use Cameron's new mo-cap techniques and technology. This doesn't mean Marvel will be able to duplicate Cameron's magic, of course; there's something of a trend in VFX for the first wave of imitators to struggle to replicate the quality of an innovator's work. This can be seen in the example of bullet-time after The Matrix in 1999, the boom in 3D after Avatar, and even in the current Disney fashion to use the Volume - technology developed for The Mandalorian allowing actors to perform in front of a massive, curved LED screen showing photorealistic backdrops. As exciting as the Volume may be, Disney's CGI obsession hurts Marvel and Star Wars, because directors and cinematographers seem unaware of its flaws and limitations.
Still, Marvel should be able to make Cameron-style mo-cap technology work for them. Their prior relationship with Weta Digital means they'll have the opportunity of learning from people directly involved in Cameron's experiments on Avatar: The Way of Water. Given that's the case, the stunning shots seen in the trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever could serve to be just a starter compared to the feast to come.
