Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania's VFX Team Was Reportedly "Understaffed"
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania released in theatres a few days ago, and to say that people aren't impressed is an understatement. It's currently one of very few Marvel projects to have a "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with many going so far as to call it one of the MCU's worst titles to date. There are plenty of different issues brought up across several reviews, though one recurring theme is that the film's CGI and visual effects are distracting and subpar.
If you've kept up to date with Marvel and how it operates, you'll be aware that this is nothing new. Marvel has been criticised several times over the past few years for sloppy VFX, especially in projects like She-Hulk and Thor: Love & Thunder. Lots of VFX artists and technicians have spoken out anonymously several times to describe dismal working conditions and unrealistic deadlines, claiming that Marvel has far too much "bullying power" over VFX teams which are getting "pixel-f**ked" as a result.
In a report by Vulture, a new batch of VFX artists have come forward with their experiences working on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and it's a very similar story to past projects. They claim that VFX teams were severely understaffed and expected to hit unrealistic deadlines, with higher-ups at Marvel "nitpicking" large portions of the film and asking for changes without taking into account the time needed to do so. They also claim that some worked close to 80 hour weeks and took naps under their desks as they didn't have enough time to return home between shifts.
However, work on Ant-Man was apparently made even more frustrating due to Marvel's willingness to reallocate critical resources to other projects. Several of these workers that spoke to Vulture claim that "shortcuts" had to be taken as Marvel would routinely prioritise Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Both films were reportedly in post-production at the same time and worked on by the same VFX house, as the more highly-skilled VFX artists would be taken from Ant-Man and placed on Black Panther.
"In terms of priority, Wakanda Forever was definitely at the top of the list," explained one worker who preferred to remain anonymous. "All the money went to that. All the best resources went to that. It’s understandable given the context — with Chadwick and everything and how well the first film did. But it did diminish the ability to carry Ant-Man all the way through."
You'd think that with a company the size of Marvel, money and resources would be no object, but many were afraid to push back for fear of losing their jobs. Marvel clearly has the money, but one worker thinks that executives at the company would rather have them "working until burnout" than be uncomfortable with its bank balance, saying that they think the issue is a matter of "human greed." From where we're sat, it's difficult to see otherwise.
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