Exclusive: Take a look at the preliminary CGI utilized in Captain America: Brave New World.

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      Get an exclusive preview of early visual effects from Captain America: Brave New World.

      The visual effects company Digital Domain has provided Digital Trends with an exclusive clip that highlights the development of one of the key scenes in Captain America: Brave New World. Lasting over eight minutes, this scene features Captain America (Anthony Mackie) and the Falcon (Danny Ramirez) intervening in a dogfight in the Pacific Ocean between US and Japanese forces that could potentially escalate into war.

      What sets this scene apart is that it is predominantly CGI. “There was extensive footage of Anthony Mackie on wires, but in the end, it all became CG,” said previsualization supervisor Cameron Ward to Digital Trends.

      In the previs clip, viewers can see the initial CGI used to construct the scene from the ground up, including the expansive ocean setting. According to Ward, the most significant challenge was not creating the vast environment but managing the high speeds of the characters and objects.

      “The main hurdle of this scene was the rapid movement of everything,” Ward explained. “We had missiles speeding through the air at 600 miles per hour over an open ocean that we built from scratch. We had to configure the camera to give the sensation that Captain America zoomed by at that speed while pursuing them. We had to consider how to visualize that.”

      Creating the characters wasn't the sole challenge. The team found developing realistic clouds to be a surprisingly demanding task. Digital Domain developed its own proprietary cloud shader tool to achieve the appropriate sizes, shading, textures, shadows, and different opacity levels resembling real clouds. They even layered four to six cloud renders on top of each other to replicate the varying brightness and depth seen in actual clouds.

      Light and shadow were also critical areas of focus for Digital Domain. Given the reflective surface of the water, the team had to accurately simulate how sunlight interacts with the ocean. They meticulously created shadows to enhance the photorealistic quality of the scene, ensuring they crafted shadows every time a jet or character passed through the air to cast on the ocean below.

      Prior to Captain America, Ward had worked on numerous significant projects such as The Last of Us, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Thunderbolts. He mentioned that Brave New World was his largest project to date, with Digital Domain dedicating a full year to its production. “I’ve been with Digital Domain for five years,” he noted, “and this is the most extensive and longest sequence I’ve ever worked on. As the project progressed, it turned out to be much more CGI than originally planned due to issues like reflections in the shots.”

      You can now enjoy Captain America: Brave New World at home, as the Marvel film will be available on DVD and Blu-ray starting May 13. For Disney+ subscribers, the film will be available for streaming beginning May 28.

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      Anthony Mackie clarifies his controversial remarks about Captain America: "I’m a proud American."

      Anthony Mackie has addressed the backlash surrounding his divisive comments regarding Captain America. During a promotional event in Italy for Captain America: Brave New World, Mackie stated that the character does not embody the concept of "America." “To me, Captain America symbolizes many things, and I don’t believe the term ‘America’ should be among those,” Mackie said in a social media video. “It’s about someone who honors their commitments, possesses dignity and integrity, and is reliable and trustworthy.”

      The country is on the verge of war in the latest trailer for Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World. "The country needs Captain America," says Harrison Ford's President Thaddeus Ross to Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson. Following an attack on the White House, Sam suspects the president's advisors may have been infiltrated. Someone is attempting to instigate war and generate an international crisis. Racing against time, Sam must uncover the mastermind behind the attack before chaos ensues. Moreover, he must act quickly to prevent Ross and his Red Hulk persona from causing destruction.

      The most anticipated comic book movies and TV shows for 2025 have been ranked.

      In 2025, audiences will once again enjoy numerous comic book films and TV shows throughout the year. Over the next twelve months, fans can look forward to DC projects like Superman and Harley Quinn as the franchise makes a highly awaited return.

      Meanwhile, Marvel fans will continue to enjoy Captain America, the Fantastic Four, and the Thunderbolts on the big screen. Although there will be plenty of comic book content to watch in 2025, these seven projects are likely the most eagerly awaited of the year:

      7. Harley Quinn Season 5 (January 16, 2025)