James Cameron settles Jack's Titanic survival debate with experiment

James Cameron recently gave a sneak peek of his upcoming National Geographic documentary, which celebrates the legacy of his 1998 classic Titanic. Cameron's Titanic is soon to reach its 25th anniversary, with it having released on February 10, 1998. The Kate Winslet-Leonardo DiCaprio film went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of all time. 

National Geographic's Titanic: 25 Years Later with James Cameron will debut on February 5, and will celebrate the legacy of the film. Throughout the years, many fans haven't been able to deal with the tragic ending of the story, and wonder if Leonardo DiCaprio's character, Jack, could have survived in the end. 

Shared via Good Morning America, the sneak peek shows James Cameron finally giving an answer to the fans. By conducting an experiment, Cameron shows all the possible scenarios in which Jack and Rose (Kate Winslet) could have met at the end of the film. 

James Cameron recreate ‘TITANIC’ floating door scene to see if Jack fit with Rose.

The movie will be re-released in theaters this month. #Titanic @GMA #ATM

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— At The Movies Online (@atmoviesonline) February 3, 2023

In the first scenario, Jack and Rose both make it to the raft, but they end up getting submerged in freezing water. In the second scenario, both of them make their way to the wooden door in the ocean. Contrary to the popular ending, they both get onto it and Jack survives for hours. Rose also gives him her life jacket to Jack so he retains heat. 

In another scenario, both the actors enacting the roles of Jack and Rose go through conditions that induce a similar lethargy to what they were feeling in the film. In that case, they could survive until the lifeboats arrived. 

James Cameron's verdict

James Cameron said in the end that Jack actually could have lived. However, he added that Jack letting Rose have a better chance at surviving shows a strength of character that was crucial for the story. 

"Jack might have lived, but there's a lot of variables," said the Avatar: The Way of Water director. He added, "I think his thought process was, 'I'm not gonna do one thing that jeopardises her.' And that's 100 percent in character."

Working with a team of scientists and two actors, James Cameron has rested the debate once and for all.