The 8 Most Impressive Special Effects In MCU, Ranked

Jimmy Henton
Jun 04, 2023
Jun 04, 2023

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has taken the world by storm with its impressive storytelling, exceptional characters, and breathtaking visual effects. From Iron Man's iconic suit to Thor's lightning powers, the MCU has always pushed the boundaries of what is possible on-screen. However, it is the special effects that truly bring these comic book heroes to life, creating a spectacle that audiences can't get enough of. With each new release, the stakes are higher and expectations soar.

But which special effects in the MCU stand out above the rest? So today, we will explore the top 8 most impressive special effects in the MCU, ranking them based on their impact and creativity. Whether it's the mind-bending visuals of Doctor Strange or the awe-inspiring cosmic battles of the Avengers, these special effects have left an indelible mark on pop culture and cemented the MCU as a powerhouse of cinematic innovation.

#1. Airport Battle - Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Source: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The fight in Captain America: Civil War between Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans) is a spectacle, to say the least, and a lot of work for the VFX team. ILM, the VFX team behind Civil War, was tasked with animating the majority of the characters, including Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Ant-Man, and Vision (Paul Bettany), to name a few, as well as creating power effects for each hero, such as Wanda's (Elizabeth Olsen) chaos magic, Vision's laser beam, and Hawkeye's (Jeremy Renner) many arrows. The airport, however, is perhaps the most impressive aspect of the scene.

Some may be surprised to learn that the battle between Captain America and Iron Man was shot on a green screen, as the airport where the fight takes place is entirely CG, save for a few airport vehicles. ILM did an excellent job of making the airport realistic and creating a larger scale for the epic battle.

#2. Baby Groot Dancing - Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 (2017)

Source: Pinterest

Baby Groot is absolutely adorable, and we fell in love with him the moment we saw him for the first time in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. We weren't expecting the adorable little guy to break out in dance while the rest of the Guardians battled an Abilisk, a multidimensional being. The special effects work that went into this scene only added to Groot's adorable design, endearing mannerisms, and amazing dance moves.

#3. The Battle for New York - Avengers (2012)

Source: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The first Avengers team-up was spectacular, with the big six attempting to protect New York from the invading Chitauri. But this scene would have been meaningless without the stunning CGI. The city of New York is impressively recreated, and as we see it being blown up piece by piece, we are in awe as the CG New York feels as alive and large as the real New York City. Similarly, seeing our favorite original Avengers face off against an onslaught of Chitauri in the iconic spinning hero shot, as well as the brilliant "oner" that truly sells the scale of the destruction and the heroes' abilities, is phenomenal.

#4. Every Iron Man Suit - Iron Man (2008)

Source: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

To create a sense of realism in the epic superhero origin story, 2008's Iron Man opted to use practical effects rather than special effects. However, it was difficult to film these scenes when the Iron Man suit was in motion or seen flying. Instead, before Marvel Studios was purchased by Disney, Kevin Feige and the film's director, Jon Favreau, hired a team at ILM to make each CG shot photorealistic, and the team more than delivered. Even after re-watching it, we are still astounded by how impressive and realistic these shots are, as the difference between the fully practical suit and the fully CG suit is noticeable.

#5. Portals - Avengers Endgame (2019)

Source: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

We are still in awe of the visual effects shots in Avengers: Endgame. But none blew us away like the climactic battle against Thanos (Josh Brolin), in which our beloved heroes who were "blipped" in Infinity War returned to save the universe via Doctor Strange's (Benedict Cumberbatch) portals. It still makes us shiver. This scene is shot on the green screen once more, which is impressive in and of itself, but the standout VFX shots have to be the portals

. It seems like each portal contains different backdrops of iconic MCU locations and planets such as Wakanda, Titan and Contraxia. Likewise, these portals bring us a sense of realism and whimsy when heroes flawlessly appear with them. ILM was once again successful in creating some of the most immersive and impressive CG in cinematic history.

#6. Skinny Steve - Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Source: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

It's no secret that Chris Evans is huge, and the idea of his face being CG'd onto a smaller body is absurd. However, we saw Steve Rogers before he was injected with super soldier serum in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger and he looked great. The crew behind the scenes did an incredible job superimposing Chris Evans' face onto Christopher George Sarris' body, making it feel authentic and ridiculously believable.

#7. Thanos - Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Source: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

We were simply stunned when we first saw Thanos in Infinity War. This intimidating comic book movie villain's animation was flawless. Every dimple, wrinkle, and hair follicle on his face is crystal clear and intricately detailed. We have yet to witness anything as mind-blowing as this. Thanos is beyond photorealistic, and the pinnacle of animators' ability to push character VFX to new heights.

#8. The Entire Movie - Doctor Strange (2016)

Source: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

No MCU film has had more visually stunning visuals than 2016's Doctor Strange. The entire movie is hammered in VFX, which would have been highly distracting in any other movie. However, no words can adequately describe the film's stunning visuals.

Doctor Strange, the underappreciated MCU origin film, plays with physics in surprising ways, forcing buildings to repair themselves in a brilliant final act fight as Doctor Strange reverses time, as well as an entire cityscape bending and reforming to the magic wielder will. Similarly, the scene in which Stephen Strange is astral projected out of his body sets the stage for some breathtaking visuals that never cease to amaze him.

Which is your favorite MCU scene with the help of CGI? Let us know in the comments now!

Share this article