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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in a fascinating place right now. We're currently in the midst of the interim period between phases, as fans wait until May for Black Widow to kick off Phase Four. The film world is always changing, with one of the new technical capabilities including de-aging and even digitally reviving dead actors through cutting edge CGI. While the Star Wars did this with Peter Cushing's Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One, we shouldn't expect Marvel Studios to follow suit.
Both Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe rely in serialized storytelling, with characters and events that are interconnected between projects. But since the MCU has had a shorter time in theaters, there haven't been a ton of major losses. But regardless, it doesn't look like the studio is interested in that particular type of storytelling. Producer Victoria Alonso recently said "We haven't considered that", while visual effects supervisor Craig Hammack also expressed his disinterest, saying:
It is something that we’re all aware of, because the possibilities are coming and our hope is that it doesn't happen in an irresponsible way. Personally, I don't want to see something that's not the performance of the person represented as the person.
Well, that's two big Marvel figures who aren't really into bringing back dead actors in a future blockbuster. In fact, it's not really being considered at the moment. Although only time will tell if the studio changes its mind down the line.
Craig Hammack's comments to Yahoo are in stark juxtaposition to the way the Star Wars franchise has handled its visual effects. Rogue One was a game changer, as both Peter Cushing and a young Carrie Fisher were included in the spinoff movie. Meanwhile, The Rise of Skywalker included the late actress through unused footage from The Force Awakens.
Marvel fans can re-watch their favorite blockbusters and TV shows on Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.
Star Wars' ample use of visual effects were done in an attempt to make the galaxy far, far away more connected. But the Marvel Cinematic Universe has only spanned a decade and change. As such, there's less of a need to use clever filmmaking techniques in order to establish continuity. What's more, there haven't been members of the MCU that have died in real life. So there's been no need to bring back anyone via visual effects.
There is no real way of telling what Marvel Studios has in store in Phases Four, Five, and beyond. We should see plenty of more cosmic stories, while The Eternals will span many years of time. As more characters are introduced, the narrative possibilities expand. So while there are no plans to bring back a dead actor with visual effects, that just might change as the franchise continues on.
The next installment in the MCU is Black Widow on May 1st. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
