Marvel VFX supervisor Geoffrey Baumann connected embers with fireflies, and swapped in Taskmaster during the skydiving climax.

Director Cate Shortland (“Berlin Syndrome”) brought a grittier violence to the MCU, which impacted the visual effects involving Natasha/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and her adopted family. This included holding on shots longer, keying on the color red, and using visual motifs to make emotional connections. The best example tied the embers during the destruction of the Red Room to the fireflies at the beginning.

“The fireflies was a kind of surreal moment that we often don’t have in the big MCU films,” said Marvel VFX supervisor Geoffrey Baumann (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”). “I think [Cate’s] vision with that was trying to maintain an innocence that was part of Natasha’s character, but also merge that with the grittiness that you might find in a ‘Bourne’ or a Bond or a ‘Mission’ type of film. The collaborative process was a learning experience that went both ways.” Read More