Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hasn't exactly received a warm critical reception, with many specifically calling out the VFX. And, according to several artists who worked on the film, there are a few particular reasons why it looks the way it does.
Three VFX artists who worked on Quantumania anonymously spoke to Vulture, explaining that budget issues are at the root of the visual problems, with certain MCU movies being prioritized over others.
"In terms of priority, Wakanda Forever was definitely at the top of the list," one visual effects artist said. "All the money went to that. All the best resources went to that. It’s understandable given the context — with Chadwick [Boseman] and everything and how well the first film did. But it did diminish the ability to carry Ant-Man all the way through."
This artist added that there were "a lot of editorial changes" that happened late in production in order to "not show as much action or effects as there could have been — likely because there just wasn’t enough time to render everything."
"A lot of us are sitting here thinking, 'The money is there. Why is it not coming down?' " he added. "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."
Another VFX artist on the movie also said Wakanda Forever took precedence, and that Quantumania was put "on the back burner - less of a pressing thing." A photogrammetry tech that spoke to Vulture, however, said he didn't feel any movie was prioritized over another, although Quantumania was subject to the typical less-than-ideal working conditions in the VFX industry.
This is far from the first time VFX workers have raised concerns about not only the industry as large, but how Marvel's churn of content isn't helping. Last year, IGN talked with a number of Marvel artists who spoke out about crunch, high-pressure working conditions, and fears over being blacklisted.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
