From Skinny Steve to Captain America!
I am sure all of you might remember that scrawny World War II recruit who is later transformed into a tall, muscular superhero with enhanced physical abilities. Yes, I am referring to the most startling visual effect in Marvel’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” movie where Chris Evans is shown as a proverbial 97-pound weakling.
Years ago, this transformation was very easy for Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, when they first drew the character. But when it came to showing this transformation on the big screen, there was a real problem of how to show Evans as both the skinny mild-mannered wimp first and then the muscular commando avenger Captain America. While Timely Comics (later Marvel) could very easily publish different appearances of the same character, both buffed and skinny, the studio’s job was not that easy.
As much as we all agree that it is one of the most amazing displays of visual effect in movies, there is still lot of confusion as to how was it done. Many still believe it is a head replacement on a skinny body double, the ‘Benjamin Button’ style. Others think it was forced perspective and careful camera placement, like how it was most beautifully done by Peter Jackson in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy to make his actors appear as Hobbits. In reality The on-screen transformation of Evans, in fact, was a combination of multiple digital…
