“Come on people, this isn’t our first rodeo”: Captain America 4 ‘Underwhelming’ CGI Trailer isn’t Surprising as Marvel Visual Artist Reveals the Sad Truth of Superhero Movies

Visual effects artists explain what happened in the trailer of Captain America: Brave New World.

The newest trailer for Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World elicited many comments from fans about its visual effects. For years, the MCU has heavily relied on computer-generated imagery to better tell stories, and so the viewers often have high hopes for better quality.

Unfortunately, the recent trailer for the fourth installment left viewers feeling dissatisfied. A seasoned visual artist defends the side of the graphics team and explains what goes down during the process of making movies.

VFX Artists Explain The Challenges Of Creating CGI For Movies

A fan from Twitter complained about the crappy visual effects on the latest trailer for Captain America: Brave New World. In the post, the user described the CGI as “cheap” coming from a film with a supposed $200 million budget. Adam Hlaváč, a visual artist who has worked on several blockbuster franchises including Marvel Studios, responded:

How many times do VFX artists need to explain how trailer shots are made? How many times do people need to be reminded that this stuff gets worked until the 11th hour on all superhero movies? Come on people, this isn’t our first rodeo.

Another expert VFX artist expounded on the issue as to why there’s been a noticeable decline in the quality of special effects in movies. Rassoul Edji wrote on Twitter:

The average film changes a lot more during postproduction now than they used to. This means new work gets added to our plate and work we’ve already started (and sometimes even finished) gets scrapped. The “fix it in post” mentality also doesn’t help.

He pointed out how clients often request changes, but it was more about having the right leadership and planning to make it work. Finally, the artist remarked that “it’s almost always the studio/leadership team who is responsible for when things don’t get done up to scratch” and he reiterated that it is “never the actual artists’ fault.”

These explanations could help fans understand what happened in the trailer of Captain America: Brave New World. The studio follows a schedule, and perhaps certain modifications have to be done days before the release of the teaser video.

Captain America 4 Will Be A Clear Reset

Anthony Mackie now holds the title of Captain America, and fans might wonder what to expect in the upcoming continuation of the famed superhero’s journey in the MCU. The actor shared via Entertainment Weekly:

This movie is a clear reset. It really reestablishes the idea of what this universe is and what this universe is going to be. I think with these movies, you’re getting a clear, new branding of what Marvel is headed towards the same way they did with Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

He teased that there’s going to be a new and bigger enemy this time and that they are past the good versus evil storyline. Now, this promises a more thrilling ride this time with Sam Wilson as Captain America.

Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters on February 14, 2025.