Marvel Studios recently unleashed the first trailer for their latest MCU Disney Plus series She-Hulk and fans are having mixed reactions about the CGI.
She-Hulk is the story of Jennifer Walters who, after her cousin, Bruce Banner is forced to give her a blood transfusion, is able to turn into the Incredible She-Hulk.
The trailer focuses a lot on the comedy of She-Hulk adapting to her new hulked-out state. Unfortunately, a lot of people didn’t like it for multiple reasons. Some just because it’s “too woke” but we’ll ignore those complaints for now. There are other, more legitimate reasons that fans aren’t taking to the series.
The CGI
Disney fans are likely having flashbacks to the Genie from the live-action Aladdin movie, as the CGI direction for She-Hulk is fairly rough. Many believe that she looks too rubbery, like a character in a video game with the green skin simply not looking natural.
‘CGI’ is trending because of the #SheHulk trailer
“We went from Thanos-level CGI to this? 🤢” pic.twitter.com/hCQAoVupR0
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) May 18, 2022
“Maybe the CGI isn’t finished yet,” said the Marvel fan after watching almost 30 movies and 5 entire shows with the most barely passable CGI you’ve ever seen, funded by a multi-billion dollar company. pic.twitter.com/AImRJAKzyz
— jacob. (@jtimsuggs) May 17, 2022
If I were to pinpoint an exact reason people aren’t a fan of CGI She-Hulk, I think it’s because she still looks too human, just green and bigger. The uncanny valley effect is here in full force here. This is especially true when you compare her to characters like Hulk, or Thanos who tend to have far more exaggerated features. The fact that they look a little less human means that viewers can accept them more as otherworldly beings.
In a similar vein, some fans also feel that She-Hulk should be a bit buffer. I mean, she is still a Hulk after all. She doesn’t have to be quite as buff as her cousin but a bit more muscle could make her look less like she was just painted green and more like the all-powerful amazon she’s supposed to be.
I’m still very much looking forward to She-Hulk but uh they couldn’t just paint her green? Or get a huge muscle lady for the She-Hulk parts. That CGI face is not GIVING. pic.twitter.com/ML0m7snSee
— Suzi Hunter (@TheSphereHunter) May 18, 2022
Shrek
Finally, if there’s anything the internet has taught me it’s that if they’re green, they’re gonna become a meme. Kermit, Shaggy, Luigi, and Yoda, have all undergone this legacy but the most well know of all of them is of course the great Ogrelord himself, Shrek.
With the CGI for She-Hulk not looking the most flattering, many have started comparing her to Shrek or his wife Princess Fiona. And if I’m being honest, the similarities are noticeable.
BRO, WHO DID THIS??? #SheHulk pic.twitter.com/dHxwab4Gbo
— JOLLY J✨ (@DynamoSuperX) May 18, 2022
I’m laughing at the fact that the #SheHulk cgi is sk incomplete, she easily fits in a shrek movie pic.twitter.com/kKzP9o2cdN
— gutz (@zyvorh) May 18, 2022
Now, it should be noted that from what I’ve seen a lot of these criticisms are primarily aimed at just the CGI, and not the show itself or She-Hulk’s actress Tatiana Maslany. Most people are genuinely excited to watch the show and want it to do well in spite of the bad CGI.
Some fans have also pointed out how difficult it can be to animate CGI and that critics should cut the VFX team a little slack. Others have said that the CGI actually doesn’t look too bad, the main problem is the art direction, with the decision to make her look more slender and human.
Of course, considering that this is a Disney project, it’s hard not to reason that they could have delayed the series and allowed the animators more time to polish She-Hulk design-wise. Even then, however, that’s a complaint about the show’s higher-ups, not the animation team themselves.
She-hulk will premier on Disney Plus on August 17th, 2022.