Acclaimed director James Cameron had some harsh words for comic book characters, claiming that Marvel and DC superheroes are emotionally immature.
The 68-year-old “Titanic” director told The New York Times that because the characters in these universes don’t have the responsibility of marriage and fatherhood, they’re often not as evolved as they could be. They also act in immature ways because of it.
“When I look at these big, spectacular films — I’m looking at you, Marvel and DC — it doesn’t matter how old the characters are, they all act like they’re in college,” Cameron told the publication.
“They have relationships, but they really don’t,” the “Avatar” creator continued. “They never hang up their spurs because of their kids.”
“The things that really ground us and give us power, love, and a purpose? Those characters don’t experience it, and I think that’s not the way to make movies,” he said.
Cameron is working hard to promote his highly anticipated film, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which premieres in theaters on December 16.
The sequel is dropping nearly 15 years after the original “Avatar” shattered box office records, becoming the highest-grossing film ever made with a whopping $2.8 billion in sales. Fans are excited to see the newest version, which Cameron says will have a more mature storyline that includes parenthood for the main characters.
“Zoe and Sam now play parents, 15 years later,” Cameron told the NYT. “In the first movie, Sam’s character leaps off his flying creature and essentially changes the course of history as a result of this crazy, almost suicidal leap of faith.”
He continued: “And Zoe’s character leaps off a limb and assumes there’s going to be some nice big leaves down there that can cushion her fall. But when you’re a parent, you don’t think that way. So for me, as a parent of five kids, I’m saying, ‘What happens when those characters mature and realize that they have a responsibility outside their own survival?’”
Sam Worthington, who plays Jake in the new “Avatar,” also praised the storyline, saying Cameron brought more depth to the characters that will resonate with fans.
“Jim wrote this family in a great way where not only are the stakes life and death, but the conflicts are quite domestic,” the actor said. “You’re still having these arguments with kids that you have every day, like, ‘Pick up your clothes, eat your food,’ even though the world is at war.”