The Evolution of Hulk in The Avengers: Creation and Challenges
Summary
The blog post showcases the development of Hulk character in The Avengers and Age of Ultron. The piece describes the challenges they faced while creating a better version of Hulk, dealing with facial animation, muscle system and keeping up with the comic world.
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- What was the Challenge?
- How did ILM develop a new approach to facial animation and the muscle system?
- What was Mark Ruffalo’s role in the making of Hulk?
- How did they manage the motion capture?
- How did they focus on making Hulk more ‘comic real’?
- How did ILM build digital Mark Ruffalo and Hulk?
- Why did everyone want Hulk to remain green even under Scarlet Witch’s power?
- Conclusion
Introduction
The Avengers movies were a huge success among comic book lovers, and audiences worldwide showcased their love for the characters, especially Hulk. He is a one-of-a-kind character the audience can’t get enough of. In this article, we will go behind the scenes and discuss the creation and the challenges faced during the evolution of Hulk in The Avengers.
What was the Challenge?
The makers of the film faced a herculean task while making Age of Ultron. The primary challenge was to create a better, more realistic version of Hulk. The character had already set the bar high in the first Avengers film, so the challenge was to improve upon it. With this challenge, ILM had to develop a new approach to facial animation and the muscle system.
How did ILM develop a new approach to facial animation and the muscle system?
ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) was responsible for the creation of Hulk, and they had to innovate to produce a better version of him. The team developed a sub-mesh system, which was more like a fascia skin layer on top of the muscle system. This allowed the team to create more realistic facial expressions by improving the muscle system.
What was Mark Ruffalo’s role in the making of Hulk?
Mark Ruffalo played a significant role in creating the character of Hulk. He was given a real-time markerless facial tracking system so that he could try different facial expressions for the character. This preview setup consisted of a laptop and a camera that allowed him to experiment with the character’s expressions before his on-set performance. In this way, Mark helped ILM get a more accurate and natural portrayal of Hulk in the movie.
How did they manage the motion capture?
Motion capture plays a crucial role in bringing out the best in CGI characters, and it was no different in the case of Hulk. Some of the motion capture of Hulk was done with Mark Ruffalo before the shoot. Some other motion capture scenes were done on set with a helmet cam and a grey suit to provide more authenticity to interactions with the other Avengers’ actors.
How did they focus on making Hulk more ‘comic real’?
The makers of the movie wanted to push Hulk’s realism to the point where he looked like he just leaped out of the comics. The team focused on creating more dislocated jaw and making him more muscular than before. They added more muscle references to Hulk, like the bodybuilder Rob DeGroot, who was painted green for lighting and muscle reference.
How did ILM build digital Mark Ruffalo and Hulk?
ILM had to create two digital components, one for Mark Ruffalo and the other for the Hulk character. They developed a new approach to facial animation that involved visually matching Ruffalo’s performance, but then ILM ran an automatic simulation over it. This approach would provide the right flesh simulation and natural movement to the character.
Why did everyone want Hulk to remain green even under Scarlet Witch’s power?
Initially, Hulk was supposed to turn gray when he’s under the control of Scarlet Witch in the movie. However, the team decided to maintain his green color as everyone wanted the character’s memorable green shade. Instead, the team made some changes in his eyes to make them look more sullen under Scarlet Witch’s control.
Conclusion
ILM’s new approach to facial animation and the muscle system gave rise to the development of a more ‘comic-realistic’ version of Hulk. They went through a lot of agony to design each shot, create the character’s expressions, and make the CGI look spectacular on screen. Finally, Hulk joined forces with the other Avengers and became a crowd-pleaser. The making of Hulk is an achievement in itself and something that comic book fans will not forget.
