The VFX for this month’s MCU sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, reportedly suffered in favor of previous MCU sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, a new report reveals. Speaking with Vulture, several VFX artists working on the Ant-Man threequel have stated that “Wakanda Forever was definitely at the top of the list,” and that “it is noticeable that there were shortcuts” taken to bring the Quantum Realm and its inhabitants to life on the big screen.

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

The VFX artists, who have remained anonymous so as not to “jeopardize” their livelihoods, have revealed that resources were taken from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to make Black Panther: Wakanda Forever the best it could be. While they understand why this happened “given the context — with Chadwick and everything and how well the first film did,” they did feel that “it did diminish the ability to carry Ant-Man all the way through.”
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“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. 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.”

There was undeniably a lot of pressure on getting the Black Panther sequel following the untimely death of star Chadwick Boseman, as well as the billion-dollar box office of the first outing, but it certainly sounds like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania may have greatly suffered as a result.

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When Resources Get Thinner the Quality Starts Lacking

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Another anonymous artist who “has worked as a VFX artist on several of the biggest superhero-movie franchises of the last decade,” says that “Wakanda Forever took precedence,” leading to a much smaller team for Ant-Man 3. Revealing that they were often “creating an actor’s entire action” leaving them to wonder “Why do we have to Frankenstein together an actor’s performance?” they conclude that this is “not how things usually go when you are working for other studios.”

“With a lot of these projects being worked on simultaneously, resources become thinner. The quality starts lacking. You can’t expect all of the VFX companies to give the highest-quality work, especially if you’re going to do it on a lower budget.”

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is now one of the worst reviewed outings in the MCU, and while this is not all because of the visuals on display, critics have leveled their disapproval at the murky and imperfect VFX. This is not even the first time that VFX artists working for Marvel Studios have communicated their issues with both the working conditions and thus the finished quality of their work.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is in theaters now.