Superhero movies are one of the most dominant forces in modern cinema, with their huge big-screen spectacles consistently drawing impressive box office earnings. As the popularity of superhero movies has continued to grow, so too have the budgets of each major production in the genre. As the box office takings have proven to break multiple records, studios have grown more comfortable in dedicating significant amounts of money to their visual effects, particularly when it comes to CGI. Bringing the superhero stories to life from the pages of comic books sees larger-than-life action translate to the big screen, but doing so often takes substantial use of CGI technology.
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The movies of the MCU, the DCEU, and other superhero franchises might occasionally deliver disappointing CGI moments, but there have also been scenes in which the technology has been used to impressive effect. While the entire genre requires the suspension of disbelief, good CGI is often vital in delivering an immersive experience to the audience, and some superhero movies absolutely nailed it. In those cases, the exhilaration of the incredible visuals seems to justify the huge budget that is often afforded to making superhero movies.
10) Dragons Battling in Ta-Lo – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings introduced one of the most powerful MCU heroes since Avengers: Endgame, but it also featured some pretty dangerous villains. The movie’s big bad turned out to be the Dweller-in-Darkness, who made his live-action debut in the film’s final act. During the Battle of Ta-Lo, the Dweller-in-Darkness breaks free from his prison, and Shang-Chi enlists the help of the Great Protector to battle the huge villain.
Shang-Chi riding into the battle on the back of a large dragon is incredibly cool, but seeing the Great Protector and the Dweller-in-Darkness do battle across the skies of Ta-Lo is visually stunning. Bringing two outlandish mythical beings to life at once is no mean feat, and having them battle convincingly using only CGI makes the scene all the more impressive. While the movie’s hand-to-hand fight choreography was excellent throughout, the final CGI set piece was equally as brilliant, and made for a memorable climactic battle.
9) Two-Face’s Reveal – The Dark Knight (2008)
While Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is known for many things, its CGI is not one of them. Nolan is a filmmaker with a reputation for making use of practical effects wherever possible, but despite his grounded approach to adapting the source material, he was still forced to use some CGI in his Batman movies. A key player in The Dark Knight‘s story is Harvey Dent, whose fall from grace is facilitated by the Joker’s scheming, seeing him transformed from the seemingly incorruptible Gotham DA to the villain Two-Face.
Two-Face’s main identifying feature has always been his scarred visage, and the additive nature of movie prosthetics would have ultimately made the villain look less realistic. Instead, Nolan opted for a CGI approach to ensure Two-Face’s look would better fit the grounded nature of his trilogy, and it worked perfectly. Two-Face’s burned features on one side of his face were shocking and visceral, and don’t look at all out of place among The Dark Knight‘s many practical effects. As such, it’s fair to say that the movie’s sparing use of CGI paid off by making the moment feel all the more organic.
8) Electro in Times Square – The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Although Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man was not the best-received live-action version of the hero, he has since found greater appreciation among fans. The same applies to his two solo movies, which have only gained popularity since their release. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in particular seemed to initially earn the ire of audiences and critics, with many aspects of the film coming under fire. Jamie Foxx’s Electro was one of these supposed issues, although his first villain scene actually holds up remarkably well from a CGI perspective.
The scene sees a newly-transformed Electro wander into the busy streets of Times Square. Surrounded by crowds and overwhelmed by his new abilities, Electro’s tragic villain turn slowly plays out even as Spider-Man tries to help him. Seeing the electricity-based powers of the character come to life in live-action against the high-tech neon lights of Times Square makes for a visually stunning scene, with great moments stemming from both the use of Electro’s abilities and Spider-Man’s. While The Amazing Spider-Man 2 itself has grown in popularity since its release, Electro’s scenes remain largely underrated.
7) Team Cap Vs Team Iron Man – Captain America: Civil War (2016)
If there was a single scene in which the MCU’s original Avengers officially disbanded, it would be the airport battle in Captain America: Civil War. The scene is the pay-off for the mounting tension surrounding the Sokovia Accords, the signing of which drives a wedge between Captain America and Iron Man, resulting in a schism in the Avengers. When that conflict eventually boils over, the two factions of heroes meet, and one of the franchise’s most exciting battles unfolds.
The scene sees Team Iron take on Team Cap. Each side has a range of heroes, with magical, technological, and acrobatic abilities all on prominent display. Seeing the likes of Spider-Man fighting Falcon, Vision battle Wanda Maximoff, and Iron Man attacked by Ant-Man all make for exhilarating action. The official MCU debut of Spider-Man and the first instance of Scott Lang becoming Giant Man all afford extra opportunities for visual flair, and the scene’s extensive use of CGI is executed brilliantly to bring the Avengers’ conflict to life.
6) Nightcrawler Attacks the President – X2 (2003)
Considering all the powerful mutants in the X-Men movies, the franchise had plenty of opportunity to deliver impressive moments of CGI. While its actual track record with visual effects ultimately proved to be relatively inconsistent, it did boast a handful of moments that have aged incredibly well even more than two decades after release. X2, released in 2003, opens with a memorable scene introducing the mutant Nightcrawler, who uses his teleportation abilities to infiltrate and attack the Oval Office.
Nightcrawler is a mutant with powers that would seemingly be incredibly easy to execute in live-action. However, getting teleportation to look organic in an action sequence is actually more complicated than it may seem, although X2 does it perfectly. The scene’s CGI is sleek and perfectly used, and while minimalistic, it certainly establishes just how dangerous Nightcrawler’s powers can be under the right circumstances. It’s a fascinating introduction to the character, thanks in no small part to the quality of the scene’s CGI.
5) Deadpool Fights the TVA With Wolverine’s Skeleton – Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
As movie superheroes go, Deadpool might not seem to require as much CGI as many others. However, bringing the rapid-healing, quick-quipping Merc with a Mouth to life on the big screen actually requires lots of subtle CGI, considering the nature of his regenerative healing factor and the brutal violence that his movies depict. His official MCU debut in Deadpool & Wolverine came with high expectations, and the movie’s opening scene managed to not just prove irreverent and hilariously ultra-violent, but incredibly well-executed, too.
The scene sees Deadpool digging up Wolverine’s corpse, only to be beset by TVA agents. Using the adamantium skeleton of the decomposed Logan, Deadpool goes on to brutally beat a veritable army of agents, taking care to use practically every part of the deceased X-Man’s remains as a weapon. The use of CGI is deceptive in its quantity, as it brings the scene to life so organically that it’s easy to look past the quality of the visuals. It’s a great scene that violently establishes Deadpool in the MCU, made possible by impressive CGI.
4) Crossing No Man’s Land – Wonder Woman (2017)
2017’s Wonder Woman is considered one of the few DC movies that lived up to its hype, delivering an impressive live-action solo debut in the DCEU for the titular hero. Serving as an origin story for Gal Gadot’s version of the character, Wonder Woman‘s story saw Diana leave Themiscyra in search of Ares, who she believed to be responsible for the growing death toll of World War I. Seeking the God of War, Diana’s journey takes her all the way to the front lines.
One scene in the movie stands out, both for its symbolism and its impressive use of CGI. Seeing Wonder Woman walk across No Man’s Land casually deflecting and resisting enemy fire as she goes is one of the movie’s most triumphant moments, and a great live-action depiction of the hero’s power. As well as being an uplifting scene in its own right, the visual effects on display help sell it as one of Wonder Woman’s finest moments in the DCEU.
3) Mirror Dimension – Doctor Strange (2016)
The MCU’s introduction of Doctor Strange added a whole new magical dimension to the franchise, both figuratively and literally. The hero’s eponymous movie saw arrogant surgeon Stephen Strange injure his hands, then subsequently discover his talent for the mystic arts while seeking a magical solution. His induction into the magical community put him at odds with the villain Kaecilius, whose magical talents were bolstered by his alliance with Dormammu. Throughout the movie, there are a handful of scenes that feature the Mirror Dimension, a magical realm in which the normal rules of physics and logic do not apply.
Every scene that Doctor Strange enters the Mirror Dimension is at once mind-bending and breathtaking. The use of magic to facilitate impossible landscapes and geometrically hypnotic visuals is something that made Doctor Strange visually striking, and also established the huge potential of magical abilities within the MCU. It’s one of the most inventive and fascinating uses of CGI in the franchise to date, and its evidence of how well the technology can be used to bring even the impossible to life.
2) Iron Man’s First Flight – Iron Man (2008)
2008’s Iron Man is many things: it’s one of the most important superhero movies in modern history, a comic book movie with a perfect ending, and it’s a film with visual effects that have aged shockingly well. The movie served as a beginning for the entire MCU, and an origin story for the titular hero, establishing how Tony Stark first built his iconic suit and became the hero Iron Man. The movie’s visual effects look remarkable throughout, but one scene in particular remains one of the best CGI moments in superhero movie history.
The scene in which Tony Stark first takes flight in his Iron Man suit is iconic, not just for its impact but for its visual execution. The scene is one of the most immersive in superhero cinema, practically putting the audience in the suit themselves as Iron Man takes to the skies for the first time. The use of CGI to depict the hero flying at breakneck speeds combined with close-ups of his face inside the suit was a perfect use of the technology, and one that brought an iconic hero to life for the first time on the big screen.
1) Portals – Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Whether you consider Avengers: Endgame the best Avengers movie is a matter of opinion, but its significance within the wider world of pop culture cannot be denied. It’s a movie that is practically bursting with incredible and memorable moments, but no aspect of it stands out more than the Battle of Earth. While the large-scale battle that serves as a climax of the entire Infinity Saga features many instances of incredible CGI, one particular moment trumps all others.
The arrival of the formerly vanquished heroes through a mass of portals is one of the most triumphant moments in cinematic history. Seeing dozens of magical portals open across the battlefield with heroes pouring out to aid in the fight against Thanos is a sight almost guaranteed to give goosebumps to a fan of superhero cinema. The scale of the moment is something that was entirely unprecedented, and it will forever hold a special place in the history of CGI as one of the most memorable uses of the technology.
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Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
