A couple of days ago the news appeared that Marvel Studios had acquired the image rights of Stan Lee, the beloved creator of the comic book company who unfortunately passed away in 2018. Thanks to this transaction, the undisputed king of cameos would once again appear in the company's movies and series thanks to the huge archive of videos available about him as well. as, above all, the use of computer generated graphics (CGI.)
This decision by Marvel Studios has divided fans among those who cannot wait to see this endearing gentleman again in future Phase 4 projects, while others repudiate the idea that even death does not serve as a excuse to leave a person alone. However, it should be emphasized that this It would not be the first time that the CGI technique has been used to revive actors already deceased.
Some of the most remembered examples are the following…
Brandon Lee
It was the first of all. Sound was the death of him in the middle of filming the movie El Cuervo that, to finish and be able to take it to the cinemas, required computer graphics to recreate some plans with the son of Bruce Lee (another actor who was also revived after death, but with less refined techniques than those used with his offspring). He led the way.
Peter cushing
As you can see, the saga of Star Wars he has used the CGI resurrection technique on more than one occasion. In the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story brought back to life (digitally) an entire institution such as Peter Cushing, who gave life to the mythical Grand Moff Tarkin in Episode IV of The Wars. Although the CGI did not convince some followers, for the time it was an impressive feat.
Harold Ramis
The death of this actor and director in 2014 was a devastating blow. In the film Ghostbusters: Beyond, during the final battle against the fearsome Zuul, the original ghostbusters suddenly arrive to save the day, except for Egon Spengler, who in fiction has been dead for years. By surprise, the ghostly version of the character appears of Harold Ramis, who joins the battle against the demonic entity, thus reuniting the original members of the 1984 film. Hair like spikes!
Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed was another of the actors who needed some retouching to finish his work on Gladiator as the British interpreter died during filming. In the video that you have above you can see the sequence for which certain CGI brushstrokes were needed, as well as the plans from which the expressions of his gesture were taken.
Paul Walker
One of the most notorious cases in recent times. The young actor starring in the successful franchise of Fast and Furious He died in a tragic car accident in 2013. For the character to make an appearance in the seventh film in the saga, one of Walker's brothers was called upon to act as a body double, while the actor's face would be added in post-production. At the end of the film, he was given a heartfelt tribute that to this day continues to make fans cry like cupcakes.
Marlon Brando
It was for Superman Returns that Warner decided to revive the character of Jor-El and, therefore, bring back Marlon Brando, who had already acted in the original films from the late 70s and early 80s. Although hidden behind a block of ice from the Fortress of Solitude, those CGI touches of the 3D graphics can be perceived.
Carrie Fisher
One of the most famous cases of the CGI resurrection of actresses. The legendary interpreter passed away unexpectedly at the end of 2016 and although he had already filmed his scenes for the eighth installment of Star Wars The Last Jedi, he did not give her time to record her scenes for the end of the trilogy. The writers, instead of opting for kill her out of scene, they decided to use deleted scenes from episodes VII and VIII. Also, during a flashback where Leia trains alongside Luke, the actress was digitally resurrected and rejuvenated. Before, she had also appeared in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story with an appearance similar to the one he showed in the original 1977 film, although at that moment he had not died.
Extra: Mark Hamill
In this case our protagonist has not died, but it was such a commented case that we had to include it here even if it was as a "extra". In one of the most exciting moments in modern television, during the season two finale of The Mandalorian, we saw a rejuvenated master Luke Skywalker save our heroes from a horde of dark soldiers. This version of the character played by Mark Hamill He had a rejuvenated face that did not convince the fans too much. On the contrary, during The Book of Boba Fett we were able to see this young Skywalker again, this time with a much more faithful CGI to the actor (in his role in 1977, 1981 and 1983), even looking like a deleted scene from Ep. SAW.