The MCU’s Controversial CGI Decline Defended By VFX Insider After Viral Criticism

VFX artist explains why MCU movies have poor CGI in comparison with certain films released more than fifteen years ago. Low-quality visual effects have been one of the many criticisms the Marvel Cinematic Universe has received throughout the years, not because it lacks convincing VFX sequences, but because the MCU’s visual effects tend to be inconsistent. Characters like Thanos and Rocket Racoon look incredibly realistic, but seemingly simple VFX shots like Iron Man’s armor in Captain America: Civil War‘s airport battle and Axl’s floating head in Thor: Love and Thunder look so rough that they affect their respective scenes’ credibility.

On X, expert VFX artist Rassoul Edji responds to a post by The Phoenix Press, which compares the CGI quality in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies with that of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. According to Edji, the problem isn’t that artists lack the talent to create proper effects. Instead, it’s the increasing workloads and the decreasing deadlines that force VFX artists to rush through the scenes. Read Edji’s full response below:

The MCU’s Future Means It Needs Good CGI Now More Than Ever

Marvel’s VFX Quality Can Be A Phase 6 Highlight If Fixed Soon

The MCU’s inconsistent CGI has been one of many issues with Marvel Studios’ productions in the past few years. Rushed plots, underdeveloped characters, and a disproportionate focus on setting up future projects have earned the Multiverse Saga more criticism than the Infinity Saga. Now, upcoming MCU movies and shows need a consistent quality level in order to guarantee fans and critics that the Marvel Cinematic Universe still has a long future ahead. High-quality VFX in the next MCU movies and shows would be a good sign of what’s to come for the franchise.

Complaints about the MCU’s excessive output and poor VFX go hand in hand. As artist Rassoul Edji explains, a large workload and tight deadlines impede VFX teams from perfecting every shot. Multiple simultaneous productions spread the teams thin, and on top of that, the constantly changing requirements mean that unfinished effects either have to be rushed or be included in the final cut as they are. Fortunately, Marvel Studios has lowered the MCU’s output, giving each project more time to be prepared.

News about numerous reshoots and script rewrites during Phase 5 don’t sound like a good omen for the MCU. However, troubled projects such as Captain America: Brave New World, Blade, and Avengers 5 have the chance to surprise audiences with solid scripts and stunning visual effects. If these projects stick the landing, the MCU could regain some of the goodwill that has waned in the past few years, possibly setting up a promising Phase 7.