VFX Artists Reveal How Marvel Masterfully Brought Chris Evans’ Human Torch Back to Life in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

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As a long-time fan of superhero movies, I must say that the CGI wizards behind Deadpool & Wolverine truly outdid themselves with the Human Torch. The way they seamlessly blended the classic fire effects from the 2005 Fantastic Four movie was nothing short of magical. It’s like they took a time machine, traveled back to my childhood, and plucked that flame-throwing hero right out of my memories.

The popularity of Deadpool & Wolverine is primarily because it features well-loved classic characters and caters to fan expectations. A notable twist for fans was the reappearance of Chris Evans’ Human Torch, last seen in 2005’s Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Although these films didn’t achieve great box office success, particularly when juxtaposed with modern blockbuster superhero productions, there was a notable appreciation for the depiction of Chris Evans’ flames.

In a YouTube clip, a team of visual effects specialists known as Corridor Crew critiqued the computer-generated imagery (CGI) used in movies. At approximately 14 minutes and 41 seconds into the video, they expressed admiration for the fire effects showcased in the Human Torch character from Deadpool & Wolverine.

As a gaming enthusiast, I couldn’t help but notice the fiery special effects bearing an uncanny resemblance to those seen in the classic Fantastic Four movies. To drive home the point, they played a snippet featuring the Human Torch from those iconic films.

Niko: Now the question I want to ask you guys, did they do the original ‘Fantastic Four’ fire effect?
Oh, interesting, it does look based on my dusty recollection – very similar
It does look very similar.

Essentially, even though there might be some minor changes, the essence remains the same. For example, the way they handled the fire in the original ‘Fantastic Four’ feels reminiscent, as you had to manually adjust parts to be brighter and darker. It seems like the same technique is being used.

The style appears to be a faithful recreation of the original. It seems as though they’ve layered together fire scenes reminiscent of plate photography. Moreover, it’s worth noting that the environmental design in this film is often underappreciated, especially in major blockbusters.

It’s astonishing how seamlessly integrated, you barely notice it even as a visual effects artist, and you don’t consciously appreciate it when watching the movie, which is precisely the aim. Yet, it feels as if they constructed an entire world by means of almost complete computer-generated transformations.

Amazing! It’s completely computer-generated, but it feels like we’re living in an age where anything is possible. I was impressed by how seamlessly they blended real footage with a fully-rendered CG duplicate.

As a gamer, I’d say it seems like they’re completely redoing the scene. They grab the original layer, then they’re adjusting the color using an Albedo technique, managing the shading or luminance, and applying high pass for detail and noise. Then, they create a rough CGI version, probably from a photo scan, light it up, and combine that lit version with the real footage to alter the lighting in the final output.

But they have real footage broken out to the different channels so they can manipulate it.

Experts praise the CGI depiction of the Human Torch in the film Deadpool & Wolverine, stating it was exceptionally well-done. Despite its limited screen time, a significant amount of work was invested to make it stand out. The choice to mimic the style from early 2000s movies proved strategic, as the film remains faithful to the original source material, displaying more reverence for Johnny Storm than fans may have anticipated.

Watch the full video below:

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2024-12-02 11:44