Cameron, whose credits include Titanic and Avatar, called Hollywood’s praise of the Gal Gadot-fronted superhero epic “misguided”.
“All of the self-congratulatory back-patting Hollywood’s been doing over Wonder Woman has been so misguided,” he told The Guardian.
“She’s an objectified icon, and it’s just male Hollywood doing the same old thing! I’m not saying I didn’t like the movie but, to me, it’s a step backwards.”
Jenkins took to social media to clap back.
“James Cameron’s inability to understand what Wonder Woman is, or stands for, to women all over the world is unsurprising as, though he is a great filmmaker, he is not a woman,” she began.
“Strong women are great. His praise of my film Monster, and our portrayal of a strong yet damaged woman was so appreciated.
“But if women have to always be hard, tough and troubled to be strong, and we aren’t free to be multidimensional or celebrate an icon of women everywhere because she is attractive and loving, then we have not come very far have we.
“I believe women can and should be EVERYTHING just like male lead characters should be. There is no right and wrong kind of powerful woman.
“And the massive female audience who made the film a hit it is, can surely choose and judge their own icons of progress.”
Her statement has been retweeted over 11,000 times at time of writing; just three hours after being posted.
Wonder Woman smashed various records upon its June release, and currently stands as the highest-grossing origin story ever.