We've probably all, on more than one occasion, complained about substandard special effects in big movies, and perhaps especially some of Marvel's recent blockbusters. But just how accurate are our observations, is it really as bad as some of us seem to think it is? Yes indeed, and Marvel Studios themselves have now come under harsh criticism from much of the VFX industry and those who work or have worked on their superhero films.
Many have gone so far as to describe the company as "the worst and absolute worst" to work for. The reasons are many but primarily it seems to be about unreasonable deadlines, constant overtime and lots of stress. On top of that, without compensation that reflects their hard work. One of the many artists who now choose to speak out wrote the following on Reddit.
"Marvel has probably the worst methodology of production and VFX management out there. They can never fix the look for the show before more than half the allocated time for the show is over. The artists working on Marvel shows are definitely not paid equivalent to the amount of work they put in."
Another user describes his frustrations with Marvel Studios as follows.
"I am on my third Marvel project in a row and literally just woke up 5:30 am on a Saturday with stress going 'I don't want to do this anymore. It's 6 am now and I am making a reel to apply someplace that has projects other than Marvel because I can't do this anymore."
Even individuals who have long since left their Marvel careers behind are now choosing to come out into the light. Dhruv Govil is one of those who worked on Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man, among others, and he wrote the following on Twitter.
"Working on #Marvel shows is what pushed me to leave the VFX industry. They're a horrible client, and I've seen way too many colleagues break down after being overworked, while Marvel tightens the purse strings."
So perhaps it's no longer surprising that we occasionally find the effects in many of Marvel's films questionable at times. The final battle in Black Panther, for example, or to take a fresher example, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Nor has Marvel Studios' latest blockbuster Thor: Love and Thunder been spared from criticism.
Are you also one of the many who have reacted to the increasingly poor quality of special effects in Marvel films and what do you think should be done about this problem?