The Years Have Been Harsh On These 10 Superhero Movie Scenes Ruined By Cringeworthy CGI

The superhero movies of the MCU, the DCU, and beyond have occasionally featured scenes of notably bad CGI that made them date exceptionally poorly. The superhero genre has reached unprecedented heights in recent years, with the movies of the MCU in particular achieving remarkable and consistent success at the box office. Some of this success can be credited to the advancement of CGI technology, which has afforded filmmakers far greater scope to bring fantastical stories to life on the big screen.

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However, even long before the movie timeline of the MCU began, superhero movies existed. Many of these movies – and even some more recent titles – struggled considerably with the limitations of CGI, and rewatching certain scenes now actually hurts the movies in question. Poor CGI can shatter the immersive nature of a superhero movie, and poor use of the technology can become unintentionally comedic. Here are 10 superhero scenes ruined by CGI that the years have not been kind to.

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10

Henry Cavill’s Poorly Masked Mustache

Justice League (2017)

The movies of the DCEU might not be well-known for their overwhelming quality, but their place in the general timeline of the genre means that the CGI used by the franchise was generally passable. However, on a few occasions, it left much to be desired, most notably in 2017’s Justice League. Behind-the-scenes issues affected the film massively, and late reshoots took place that required a contractually-obliged mustache to be removed from Henry Cavill’s face using CGI.

The scenes in which this was the case are all too evident, because the use of CGI completely transformed Cavill’s face in the uncanniest of ways. Seeing Superman’s face and expressions shift so dramatically in the middle of a scene is impossible to ignore, and the execution of the CGI is all too clear. By being so noticeable, Justice League’s poor CGI simply brings the movie’s troubled production to mind while also being incredibly distracting.

9

Wolverine Inspects His Claws

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Though Fox’s X-Men movies featured many iterations of visual effects both practical and computer-generated, the franchise’s visuals rarely come under significant fire. Despite the franchise’s use of CGI being largely okay, there is one particular example which stands out as notably poor. X-Men Origins: Wolverine is often considered one of the franchise’s weaker efforts, but one relatively unimportant scene features some of the worst CGI in the entire franchise.

After being given his reinforced adamantium skeleton and claws, Wolverine escapes to a nearby farm. There, he inspects his new claws, which are rendered entirely in abysmal CGI. The movie’s inability to successfully blend the CGI claws with the live-action visuals of the scene is all too evident, and the whole scene looks ridiculous as a result. Though it should have been an important and potentially emotional moment in Wolverine’s origin story, it simply came off as jarring due to the poor use of CGI.

8

Every Enchantress Scene

Suicide Squad (2016)

Coming relatively early in the DCEU’s movie timeline, 2016’s Suicide Squad had a reasonably important place in the franchise. Not only was it set to introduce major characters such as Harley Quinn, the Joker, and Amanda Waller, but it was the DCEU’s first adaptation of characters outside of DC’s iconic triumvirate. Unfortunately, Suicide Squad was underwhelming across the board, with particular criticism leveled at the movie’s CGI.

The movie’s antagonist, Enchantress, was one of its most notable examples of poor CGI. Every time the character’s magical abilities were on display, the entire scene was transformed into a whirlwind of terrible CGI, and instead of seeming threatening, Enchantress instead seemed laughable. Scenes that should have been impactful and integral to the plot instead became cringeworthy and comedic, and that hurt the overall perception of the movie as a result.

7

Multiple Catwoman Climbing Scenes

Catwoman (2004)

There are few superhero movies that have been as widely ridiculed as 2004’s Catwoman. The Halle Berry-led movie has the unfortunate accolade of being one of the worst in the history of the superhero genre, with poor writing and acting both cited as evidence of its lack of quality. However, the film also features multiple instances of utterly laughable CGI, with the technology being used in the most ridiculous of ways.

Catwoman features multiple scenes of the titular character clambering across rooftops, scaling buildings, and otherwise moving in a decidedly cat-like manner. In order to enhance the feline aspects of these motions, the movie employed CGI to render the actions of Berry’s character, leading to scenes of a clearly CGI version of Catwoman hopping across alleyways and scampering along walls. Though the technological limitations of the time should be noted, CGI was arguably not needed at all for those scenes, making it seem especially poor.

6

Reed Richards Discovering His Stretching Abilities

Fantastic Four (2005)

Although 2005’s Fantastic Four is far from the worst pre-MCU Marvel movie, it’s still not considered a masterpiece within the genre. The nature of the movie’s story and characters called for extensive visual effects, which, for the most part, were carried off reasonably well. Considering the visual nature of its heroes’ abilities, it was actually perhaps the simplest that caused the most issue for the movie, with Reed Richards’ stretching abilities being by far the worst CGI in the film.

The scene in which Reed first discovers the potential of his stretching ability, squeezing his hand under a locked door to open it from the other side, looks terrible by today’s standards. Where other CGI moments in the film have aged considerably better, Richards’ first major test of his abilities simply looks awful. As such, it stands out as an especially cringeworthy scene, if only in a visual sense.

5

Green Lantern’s Live-Action Debut

Green Lantern (2011)

Released in 2011, Green Lantern had the potential to be an exciting and landmark title in DC’s movie history. The blockbuster live-action debut of the hero seemed destined for success, although this ultimately proved not to be the case. Of the many criticisms leveled at the movie, few were as considerable as the issues with its CGI, particularly where the titular hero was concerned.

Rendering Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern suit entirely using CGI proved to be a terrible decision, as the effect simply looked poor. It dispelled any chance that Green Lantern would be taken seriously within the genre, and has widely been cited as some of the worst CGI in modern superhero movies. Considering its 2011 release date and the general lack of realism in the movie’s design, Green Lantern’s reveal stands out as a scene that has aged especially poorly due to its laughable CGI.

4

Ghost Rider’s Transformation

Ghost Rider (2007)

Perhaps one of the strangest examples of poor CGI hurting a scene comes in 2007’s Ghost Rider, which served as the eponymous Marvel character’s live-action debut. Nicolas Cage might have been a slightly odd casting for Johnny Blaze, but it was far from the most jarring aspect of the movie. The scene in which he first transforms into the Spirit of Vengeance has aged poorly due to bad CGI, though not in the same way as other movies of its time.

In general, the scene’s use of visual effects is surprisingly good, with the character’s transformation being rendered in a blend of CGI and practical effects. The way in which Blaze’s skin burns away is complemented by Cage’s performance, right up until the final reveal of Ghost Rider’s full transformation. In a split second, the scene goes from using its CGI brilliantly to offering up an underwhelming iteration of its hero, with the disappointing final result effectively ruining the otherwise excellent transformation.

3

Hulk Vs Hulk Dogs

Hulk (2003)

Ang Lee’s 2003 movie Hulk is a divisive chapter in the history of superhero cinema. Mixed reviews seemed to disagree on the movie in almost every conceivable way, with its visual style being both praised and criticized in equal measure. Some felt that the more cartoonish CGI style lent the movie a comic book aesthetic, while others disliked the lack of realism. Regardless, there is one scene in particular in which Hulk’s CGI was inarguably awful.

In one scene, Eric Bana’s Hulk finds himself up against a pack of Hulk Dogs. The hero’s encounter with the gamma-infused canines makes for an action sequence rendered entirely in CGI, and the movie’s chosen style renders it entirely ridiculous. Seeing the cartoonish Hulk grappling with cartoonish Hulk Dogs and swatting at them using a CGI tree trunk against a live-action backdrop was as bizarre as it was cringewothy, and led to a scene that has aged terribly due to its visual effects.

2

Spawn’s Action Sequences

Spawn (1997)

In the broad history of superhero movies, few titles are as well-known for their poor CGI as 1997’s Spawn. The nature of the character’s story combined with the technological limitations of the late ‘90s served as a perfect storm for some of the worst visual effects imaginable. Though Spawn’s disappointing use of CGI has been well-documented, there are specific scenes that stand out as especially prominent offenders.

Several of Spawn’s action sequences feature CGI that is truly abhorrent, often being compared to low-budget video game cutscenes as opposed to effects befitting a Hollywood blockbuster. Though the movie was held back by the technology of its time, its CGI has since aged especially poorly due to the rapid improvement of visual effects in film. It may seem a little unfair on Spawn, but the movie’s poorly-aged CGI visuals ultimately make the whole film age terribly.

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Final Battle With Deacon Frost

Blade (1998)

Released in 1998, Blade is commonly held as one of Marvel’s best pre-MCU Marvel movies. The film’s R-rated action earned it considerable popularity upon release, but the movie’s relatively sparing use of CGI has since aged it in an especially negative way. Nowhere in the movie is this more obvious than in the final battle between Blade and Deacon Frost.

The CGI on display in the scene is laughably bad, especially in comparison to the movie’s many practical effects. The use of incredibly limited technology to render elements of the climactic battle hurt not just the scene itself, but the whole movie. As such, the poor CGI in 1998’s Blade made for one of the worst-aged examples of poor visual effects in the history of the MCU, the DCU, and other superhero movies across the genre.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
DC Universe

The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.