The “Iron Man 3” finale may have been an early example, but these days, MCU filmmakers regularly sneak in visual effects where fans would never expect them. While something like Tony Stark’s Iron Man armor demands CGI, the franchise has digitally altered many seemingly mundane elements. Thor’s eyepatch in “Avengers: Infinity War” was a digital creation after a practical patch proved difficult to work with. Chris Hemsworth told CinemaBlend that the effect was just “four little dots on my face.” The Avengers’ white Quantum Realm suits seen in “Endgame” were similarly added during post-production. Since the movie was shot concurrently with “Infinity War,” the scene was filmed with the actors wearing whatever costumes they needed to wear for the next scenes on their individual shooting schedules, as visual effects supervisor Stuart Penn revealed to Before & Afters.
Even the brick that Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) catches in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was a CGI creation. “No Way Home” visual effects supervisor Kelly Port told Corridor Crew that it was originally a snow globe, but was digitally changed to a brick after the fact.
CGI — sometimes, even excessive CGI — is to be expected in any blockbuster superhero movie, but the “Iron Man 3” finale proves it can appear in places fans would never even notice. Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t even present for the emotional conclusion to his solo trilogy and audiences were none the wiser.
