Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1540269
4 cgw j u ly • a u g u s t • s e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 5 D igital Domain made significant contributions to the Mar- vel Studios film The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Under the leadership of VFX supervisor Jan Philip Cramer, the studio collaborated closely with production VFX supervisor Scott Stokdyk, contributing to nearly 400 shots featured in the final film. Set in a vibrant, 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic world, the film in- troduces Marvel's first family—the Fantastic Four—as they welcome a new baby, juggle personal lives with their superhero identities, and simultaneously defend Earth from Galactus [Ralph Ineson] and Silver Surfer [Julia Garner]. Digital Domain worked on all five of the main characters, with their VFX spanning multiple sequences set at the team's headquarters in the Baxter Building. The studio's main focus was on The Thing [Ebon Moss-Bachrach]—an asset that was ultimately shared among multiple vendors—and the charming and adorable Baby Franklin [Ada Scott]. Digital Domain—known for its state-of-the-art digital characters and photorealistic digital humans—collaborated closely with Marvel and other VFX vendors to develop The Thing. Cramer's expertise was key in defining the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) shapes for scanning and training, and facial systems that would be used for the character. Cramer worked closely with 3D scanning specialists Clear Angle Studios to ensure all vendor needs were covered to build the iconic character. To capture the full-body motion of the actor's body, Digital Do- main employed Xsens suits and conducted comprehensive testing. For the face, the studio's team developed a new pipeline that used the proprietary, markerless facial-capture technology Masquerade3, which was instrumental in delivering 300 intricate shots featuring The Thing. The Masquerade3 pipeline was shared across four other vendors on the film. Digital Domain provided all postvis assembly scenes that relied on Xsens and Masquerade3 data based on initial time- code call-outs, and the previs vendor, The Third Floor, received raw dumps of the Masquerade3 data on the character rigs. This unified approach gave other vendors a starting point for the design, ensuring consistency in character performance and quality across every shot, regardless of the studio executing it. For this, Digital Domain set up over 1,160 assembly scene files that contained the character's body and face—to be used by all vendors as their starting point. One of the unusual challenges in creating The Thing involved actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach's beard, which had to be addressed during fa- THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS CRAFTING GROUNDBREAKING VFX FOR MARVEL'S ICONIC FIRST FAMILY Images © 2025 Marvel Studios