Marvel has faced much-publicized criticism from the VFX industry. This could have a major impact on the celebrated studio moving forward.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe's VFX problems point to larger cultural issues the studio has failed to confront. Hollywood's blockbusters may be art, but sadly there's a long history of the artists themselves being treated badly. The VFX industry supporting films and TV shows is particularly vulnerable, simply because the industry is comparatively new and isn't unionized. But, although these problems are industry-wide, one studio's name keeps coming up; Marvel.
"They're a horrible client," one former Marvel VFX artist observed in a recent social media post, "and I've seen way too many colleagues break down after being overworked, while Marvel tightens the purse strings." Anonymous reports have led journalists to begin digging into the state of the VFX industry, trying to figure out how deeply-rooted the problems really are. That's led to a number of shocking studies, most recently by Gizmodo. According to these reports, Marvel is by no means atypical across the industry - but the problems are more pronounced, and exacerbated by Marvel's sheer scale. It's hard to believe that, only a few years ago, Marvel only released two or three movies a year. Now, the studio produces an endless stream of films and TV shows. Marvel's Phase 4 has only lasted two years, and yet in terms of viewing hours, it runs for longer than Phases 1-3 combined.
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Spider-Man is well known for an iconic line that's usually associated with his beloved Uncle Ben; "With great power comes great responsibility." Marvel Studios is now Hollywood's biggest force, and that power and influence comes with a heavy responsibility. Unfortunately, at this point in time, it looks as though Marvel's cultural problems mean the studio is failing to live up to it. Given its continued dominance of the industry, the fact that Marvel's VFX problems are so pronounced proves that it perhaps isn't treating its position with the necessary respect.
The first problem lies in the competition between VFX houses, with studios like Marvel typically looking for the cheapest options. Fearful of losing the work, VFX houses frequently cut their bids down so low that they barely make a profit or break even - and what profit they do make is often only thanks to tax credits, with VFX houses moving from country to country in pursuit of these incentives that will make them more competitive. Marvel's CGI and VFX requirements are often especially demanding, cutting into these profits. "I’ve seen the books," one VFX artist told Gizmodo. "Despite working on major motion pictures, the profit margins for these VFX houses are in the single digits."
There have been consistent reports Marvel tend to shoot a project in such a way that major aspects can be changed at a moment's notice, allowing their creative teams maximum flexibility. Each Marvel project involves a separate team, meaning VFX artists don't get the chance to cultivate the professional working relationships that will allow for optimum communication; some projects run smoothly, while others are deeply problematic. Incredibly, Marvel didn't tell VFX artists when they bumped Avengers: Endgame's release date forward by a month, meaning they had less time to complete their work.
VFX artists find themselves bombarded by messages from different stakeholders, some of whom feel as though they shouldn't have any creative input at all. All this means VFX houses are often implementing significant changes at short notice, generating numerous iterations of the same shots that will never be used, while having no additional funding available for more staff. There's a lack of consistent direction that results in so many hours of wasted time; one artist recalled a logo being reworked "almost every week." As impressive as the VFX artists may be, they can't carry on working this way.
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The issues described at Marvel are disturbingly reminiscent of those described around Marvel's 2015 split. Marvel Entertainment's reclusive CEO, Ike Perlmutter, was noted for a frugal attitude that meant he treated staff poorly and preferred to spend as little as possible. Under Perlmutter, Marvel ran a Creative Committee that offered feedback on countless different aspects of a given movie; directors were often frustrated, because they felt some members of the Marvel Creative Committee had no idea what it took to make a movie, and should not be in a position where their feedback mattered so much. Patty Jenkins quit Thor: The Dark World, Edgar Wright left Ant-Man, and Avengers: Age of Ultron "broke" Joss Whedon. There were countless tales of MCU directors struggling with the Marvel Creative Committee, sometimes over the most absurd details. Iron Man 3's main villain was switched because of claims female action figures don't sell as well (ironically, no merchandise was ever released surrounding the male villain anyway).
These problems ultimately led Disney to force a corporate restructure. The film studio was pulled out of Marvel Entertainment, with Kevin Feige becoming president of Marvel Studios. Since then, things seem to have changed; the return of Natalie Portman, who left the MCU in frustration because her friend Jenkins had been so badly treated, should be seen as a major indication of a cultural shift. And yet, for all that's the case, Marvel's current issues with CGI and VFX houses suggest the problems are still there - affecting other parts of the film-making process. VFX houses are describing the same spendthrift ways, the same communications problems, the same feedback from stakeholders who shouldn't be involved in the creative processes at all. The changes haven't gone far enough, because they haven't affected how the studio works with its key partners.
The problem, of course, is that Marvel is becoming too big to change. Feige recently announced the MCU's Phase 5 slate, an ambitious one that means the conveyor belt of CGI and VFX will simply need to carry on rolling at speed for years. The announcement of Avengers: Secret Wars may have left audiences thrilled, but it was greeted with weary sighs from VFX artists; Secret Wars will be bigger than Avengers: Endgame, and that in itself was incredibly demanding for the VFX industry. A single shot in Avengers: Endgame, featuring dozens of superheroes and armies of villains, could take hundreds of hours from dozens of VFX houses. Secret Wars will be a multiversal adventure undoubtedly featuring even more characters - and yet it will release in just three years' time, made at the same time as Phases 5 and 6. Marvel's ambition is in danger of exhausting the VFX artists it depends on. Meanwhile, viewers are beginning to notice poor CGI and VFX, to the point where even Thor: Love and Thunder's director Taika Waititi openly mocked his own film's CGI.
The issues will only change if Marvel decide to course-correct on their corporate culture, treating their VFX artists better and avoiding overworking them. Marvel will perhaps need to decide to shift from automatically looking for the cheapest option, thereby fueling overworking, and instead perhaps even prioritizing work to houses that are unionized. It may even mean becoming a little less ambitious, with Marvel choosing to stagger its releases over a longer time period. But Marvel Studios is the industry leader, and others will follow where Marvel leads. The Marvel Cinematic Universe can transform Hollywood once again, not just in terms of popularizing shared universes, but also in terms of treating its vendors better. That would be the true way to handle this power responsibly.
Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant's staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back - and this time it's cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon. A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He's heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he's into British politics too.