Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings may be in the rear view mirror for many MCU fans, but it's worth remembering just for the simple fact that, because of its success at the box office, the world was saved from more than one film delay.
Shang-Chi's introduction into the MCU was praised by critics and fans alike, and it built a great foundation for the character going forward. As for when the character may show up again, that isn't quite known, but he won't be away for too long.
One of the best parts of the film, while admittedly very short, was the return of Tim Roth's Abomination. The scene saw the character in an illegal underground fight club pitted against Benedict Wong's Wong, although the two had formed an odd mentor/mentee dynamic.
Thanks to a chat with the film's VFX supervisor, fans now have an idea of how it was all filmed.
Abomination's Hilarous Shang-Chi Performance
Before and Afters revealed a glimpse into how the fan-favorite scene in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings between Abomination and Wong was filmed.
Speaking with the film's SFX supervisor Dominik Zimmerle, it was revealed that the production actually "had a guy on stilts," which they not only used for VFX purposes, but also "as reference for Benedict Wong:"
"That was actually quite fun because they had a guy on stilts. It was a green guy on stilts who had extended stilt arms so that he basically could swoop very far or do very far punches. This was done as reference for Benedict Wong for where to duck away and so on, and he was attached to the wires for safety."
The person in a green suit and stilts was great for reference and on set work, but it couldn't accomplish everything. For one, the violence of Abomination's movements couldn't be properly imitated on set, so it was up to the animators who "key framed" what audiences saw on the screen, and they "shot all kinds of internal references:"
"Of course, for the performance, it was not exactly what we needed because it wasn’t violent enough, simply because of the physical limitations. The performance of Abomination was key framed by our animators, who shot all kinds of internal references trying to transport the violent action of this fight."
Marvel Successfully Brings Abomination to Life
It's always fun to see how Marvel brings to life some of these characters. It truly makes one appreciate all the work that goes into acting from the image of something like a green-suited man on stilts.
Thanks to the work of those stunt people and VFX animators, that silly image can become something as badass as what fans saw in the final cut of the film. Their artistry certainly works wonders. Marvel Studios is surely pleased that the team had a reason to get this Abomination SFX work done ahead of time.
Fans will see more of Abomination when he returns in next year's She-Hulk, where he'll likely go up against Tatiana Maslany's Jennifer Walters. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is currently playing in theaters.
