Ant-Man 3 CGI is upsetting Marvel fans in new footage.

Yet though Ant-Man 3 and the Wasp: Quantumania hasn’t even been released in cinemas, some fans are already complaining about the CGI, following a regrettable recent MCU pattern.

Marvel Studios has experienced a sharp rise in controversy since Phase 4 began, mainly over the CGI of its most recent works. But now that the MCU’s Wakanda chapter has been closed by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, many are anticipating that Phase 5 and Ant-Man 3 will usher in improvements.

As director Peyton Reed sets out to bring the Quantum Realm to life, the threequel is positioned to provide some of the studio’s most difficult VFX challenges to yet. That entails not just building an entirely new environment for the Ant-Man family to explore from scratch but also developing the species that live there.

The movie’s premiere on February 17 is now less than a month away, so fans won’t have much longer to wait to see precisely how it will all appear. However, the newest movie footage has some fans doubting whether the MCU’s VFX issues are truly resolved.

Ant-Man 3 Video Critics Call It “Ugly” CGI

Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang and Kathryn Newton’s Cassie Lang are seen staring out into the Quantum Realm in a scene from Ant-Man 3 and the Wasp: Quantumania, which was been given a fresh look by Twitter user Cryptic HD Quality.

The image shows the couple in a wider-angle peak as they are encircled by the bizarre architecture and vivid colours of the Quantum Realm.

However, a lot of people have voiced their displeasure with the CGI in the comments, condemning the photo for being unnatural and obviously false.

In anticipation of the unfavourable replies that will follow, @MoviemanStudios foreshadowed their reply by calling the images thus far “really ugly looking::”

“I’m probably gonna get cooked for this but from what we’ve seen so far the visuals are really ugly looking”

Another Twitter user, @imperialotter, raised broader worries about Quantumania, saying that they believe” this movie is going to be a mess.”

Some people, however, were significantly less harsh, such @the miketella, who said the shot “looks fine” and made fun of Marvel Studios for being unable to “go into the f***ing quantum realm for these scenes:”

“People be criticizing this shit as if they had the ability to go into the fucking quantum realm for these scenes bruh it looks FINE y’all need to relax”

@EvaUnit10032 noted that “everything in Marvel is CG anyways,” and she was pleased when they leaned toward making things “otherworldly and colourful:“

“Considering everything in marvel is CG anyways I’m glad when they make things actually seem otherworldly and colorful with that CG.”

One user, @HouseOfWanda, seems to err on the side of caution, admiring the background design while also observing that the performers’ positioning and the lighting “make it look more fake than it should.

“The CGI background is fine but the lighting and the way they’re standing there makes it look more fake than it should be idk.”

Similar to @teutonicpics, who praised the CGI but bemoaned the lighting and camera work before expressing their hope that these pictures “[don’t] represent the whole film:” 

“The CGI is really good but the lighting and camera work is so bad. Shame. Hopefully this doesn’t represent the whole film.”

The fact that the two heroes are standing “on a random flat circle in the middle of rough terrain” makes the CGI a lot more obvious than it otherwise would be, according to @EyItsNae in particular:

“Dumbest complaint known to man, but movies always take us to these otherworldly cgi wonderlands or whatever but having characters interact on a random flat circle in the middle of rough terrain is like one of three factors that makes “welcome to green screen room” stand out.”

Peyton Reed, the director of Ant-Man 3, said early on in the filming process that they will make full use of The Volume for the shoot. By real-time displaying digitally made backdrops behind the cast and any set pieces, this technology serves as a substitute for a green screen.

Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), a division of Lucasfilm, created the iconic design for The Mandalorian, and it has since become a sensation in Hollywood. The Volume has been utilised for a number of recent Star Wars and Marvel films from Disney, including House of the Dragon, The Batman, and others.

Regarding the obvious use of The Volume technology, certain people had specific remarks to make. “if you cover up Cassie, the shot’s honestly great,” as @artmachine8096 pointed out, and they expressed their hopes that Marvel would someday learn how to “properly use The Volume tech:”

“Marvel will one day know how to properly use the Volume tech but that day is not today. If you cover up Cassie, the shot’s honestly great. Like I fully believe Scott is in the background in the 2nd shot, but there’s something about Cassie and how she doesn’t blend with the background”

Some people joked that “the green screen budget was 2 dollars and a Cheeto,” while @zewnins had a funnier retort.

In reaction to the wider perspective shot, @Yatsu rl made fun of the current trend of AI-generated art by saying, “me when I throw some random words on an AI image generator.”

The graphics were comically compared to “a high-budget play” by @EnvelopeRider.

It’s crucial to understand that, despite the impending February release, these critiqued Quantumania images could not really reflect final sequences from the film. Just days before its debut, Spider-Man: No Way Home was still receiving finishing touches.

Is the MCU being hurt by the volume?

The newest critique of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania undoubtedly raises fears that the issue will continue – despite the studio’s recent steps to assure tighter quality control moving ahead. Marvel Studios has been the subject of much controversy about their VFX during Phase 4.

One of the few changes that could be affecting the appearance of these superhero projects is the addition of The Volume. This is in addition to the significant increase in workload brought on by the addition of the Disney+ series to the MCU slate, which may be making Marvel Studios “horrible” to work for from a VFX perspective.

Thor: Love and Thunder was the first MCU film to use the technology extensively, and it received a tonne of flak for its VFX and overt usage of The Volume. Despite the fact that The Mandalorian, House of the Dragon, and The Batman received plaudits for the technologically advanced visual marvels they produced.

Therefore, it is evident that any issues with the final photos produced utilising The Volume are not a direct result of the technology itself but rather of how it was used. This might imply that the seemingly subpar CGI that Marvel Studios has recently released was perhaps the result of hasty production and overloaded VFX studios.

The bar for contemporary CGI has been significantly increased by recent stunning films like Andor and Avatar: The Way of Water. Marvel Studios may spend more time polishing VFX given that it is taking steps to assure more quality control as it reviews its upcoming schedule.

On February 17, Ant-Man 3 and the Wasp: Quantumania will be seen in cinemas.