Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness before and after CGI
As impressive as the visuals are in Marvel, Doctor Strange deserves special mention. The VFX used for The Mirror Realm, The Dark Dimension, the collapsing city sequence, and the astral plane scene are so awe-inspiring, you can see why they were nominated for an Academy Award.
As mesmerising as these scenes are, you never believe what you are looking at is anything but a digital creation. But the same cannot be said about Stephen Strange’s Cloak of Levitation. Although Strange’s cape is noticeably CGI when it moves on its own, digital effects are used on this garment more often than you would expect.
In nearly every scene where the Sorcerer Supreme is fighting or floating, Benedict Cumberbatch didn’t wear his cloak, since it hampered his manoeuvrability. For these scenes, the cloak was rendered by Stephane Ceretti’s team, Framestore – the same guys behind the visuals for Rocket Racoon. Although this visual could’ve been distractingly obvious, it turned out so well, it’s been implemented in every movie Strange has appeared in since.
Strange’s magical powers may be great, but he can’t hold a candle to movie magic.