MCU is the mogul of the superhero genre in Hollywood today. With exceptional cast, plot, and visuals, the franchise has transcended the viewers’ experiences with movies. The studio has witnessed huge advancements in its technology over the years. In fact, today it is counted in the top 5 studios with the best digital effects. However, in spite of films like Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame and Captain Marvel displaying excellent digital wizardry, some Marvel films in the studio have disappointed the fans with poor visuals. Here are the worst CGI moments that were shockingly used in the MCU movies.
1. The Chitauri- The Avengers
The Chitauri army can be intimidating as long as we don’t see their faces. Even though their faces were designed in a way to cast fear and evil, thanks to the creative team, the final output on the screen turned out to look like a character from an animated film.
The alien army was quite convincing with the golden band on their heads to represent their link with Thanos. It was their CGI face without the cover that took the chills away in a second.
2. Goose Floating- Captain Marvel
The VFX team of Captain Marvel shared that the alien cat was acted by four different cats but most of its scenes were digitally created. Fans with cats at home would have already guessed it from the scene where Goose was weightlessly floating. Goose looked like a far distant relative of the animated Puss In Boots.
3. Killian’s Extremis Body- Iron Man 3
After Tony Stark rejected Killian years ago and hurt his ego, the latter went on to work on his own version of Super-Soldier serum. He created the Extremis which was a close match to the Super Soldier but not 100% successful. When Killian finally achieved the formula and used it on himself, his chest began to glow to indicate his enhanced strength. But as his fight with Iron Man proceeded, Killian was clearly turned into a rubber CGI model.
4. The Rhinos- Black Panther
It is ironic how the only place with the most advanced technology in the Marvel Universe was received the worst VFX. The mighty rhinos and pride of Wakanda appeared to be man-made robotic animals of the country. Even the fictitious Nargles and Buckbeak in the Harry Potter were more believable than these VFX rhinos.
5. The Abomination- The Incredible Hulk
The difference between the Hulk from the Avengers franchise and the one from The incredible Hulk was incredibly huge. It was an improvement from previous iterations of the Hulk but the digital team ended up overdoing the characters. The Abomination had surpassed even Hulk in terms of VFX to the point that it looked oddly animated. The fans couldn’t be blamed for not feeling the plot due to the animated characters.
6. Bucky Falling Off The Train- Captain America: The First Avenger
Bucky falling off the train while fighting the Hydra forces was supposed to be an emotional moment for the audience and Captain America. But it was impossible to control our chuckles and sympathize with Cap given the way Bucky plummeted to the ground. It was too evident that Bucky was lying in one place, while the digital background was zooming in and out of view.
7. Black Panther and Killmonger Face-Off- Black Panther
There is no doubt about the prowess in visual effects that MCU has achieved over the years. But relying on it too much and overdoing it make it hard for the audience to feel connected to the story and its characters. During Black Panther’s fight with Killmonger, the movie used CGI models instead of the actors or their stunt doubles to generate more impressive action sequences. But the final product was too digital and video game-like to be taken seriously.
8. The Battle In Wakanda- Avengers: Infinity War
The battle on Wakanda created by the VFX team was pretty impressive, considering how challenging it was. Arranging extras and creating a thousand versions of them for a big scale war was no child’s play. On top of that, creating hundreds of thousands of Thano’s alien army was a whole other task.
The digital team copied about 500 warriors from Wakanda out of the few extras. It was one of the greatest battles in the MCU and the creators did an excellent job. However, there were times when the battle seemed more like a video game than a live-action shot.
9. Tony Stark’s Nano-Tech Armor- Avengers: Infinity War
The first time we saw Iron Man’s nano-tech suit in Avengers: Infinity War, it was impossible to control our excitement. That moment signified the power of Stark’s innovation in technology. However, many fans noticed how the supposed nano-tech covered up Tony like pixels. Moreover, Tony’s walk didn’t match the beat of the suit and looked too unreal. To matter what tech Iron Man uses, it doesn’t explain how the armor shrunk the size of Tony’s head.
10. Asgardians V Dark Elves- Thor: The Dark World
The Dark World transformed into an animated war from a live-action movie during the battle between the Asgardians and the Dark Elves. The digital team infused so many digital scenes that half the warriors seemed weightless like the characters from video games.
