One of the stars from MCU’s Thunderbolts*, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, has disclosed that the upcoming Jake Schreier directional will have more physical action and less CGI. It means fans will be witnessing more practical effects in the movie compared to recent MCU movies, which relied too heavily on CGI.
In her recent interview with The New York Times, Louis-Dreyfus talked about how Thunderbolts* is “trying to stay away from as much CGI as possible.” She also added that the movie would have a more “human story” instead of being a CGI extravaganza. This is what she said:
“It’s very well organised. Very methodical. And I don’t mean that in a negative way. Particularly on this film, they’re very much focused on, frankly, the human story, believe it or not. They’re trying to sort of go back to their roots, as it were. They’re trying to stay away from CGI or whatever as possible, so the stunts are, like, everywhere. And in fact, I had to do a couple.”
The recent comments from Julia Louis-Dreyfus are a welcome relief for Marvel fans. Most of the Thunderbolts: Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, John Walker (US Agent), Antonia Dreykov (Taskmaster), and Alexei Shostakov (Red Guardian) rely heavily on their physical fighting abilities. Therefore, an overreliance on CGI for their action sequences weakens the film’s potential. While Ava Starr (Ghost) will require some CGI due to her phasing abilities, and Lewis Pullman’s cameo as Sentry will likely involve CGI as well, the focus should be on practical effects whenever possible.
Practical effects like fights and stunts will aid Schreier and his team to focus on the raw power and brutality associated with these popular antiheroes. Each member of the ‘Thunderbolts’ has a distinct fighting style and abilities. Practical effects can showcase these unique strengths’ in a more compelling manner.
Recent MCU movies such as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, and The Marvels were way too CGI-oriented. That’s why adding more practical effects in Thunderbolts* will give the film a more grounded and realistic touch.
Thunderbolts* will come out in theatres worldwide on May 5, 2025. It stars Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Olga Kurylenko, David Harbour, Harrison Ford, Lewis Pullman, and more. Stay tuned for more updates.