How Digital Domain crafted 8.5 min almost all-CG dogfight scene in Captain America

Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World features a thrilling 8.5-minute aerial battle, crafted almost entirely in CG by Digital Domain. Led by VFX Supervisor Hanzhi Tang and team, the sequence delivers high-speed action over the Indian Ocean as Captain America and Falcon stop an escalating conflict.

High-Speed Aerial Action

Jets race at 300 mph, missiles zip past at 1,000 mph, and clouds swirl around them. The entire scene—including the sky, ocean, and characters—is CG. Every detail was designed to feel fast and believable.

CG Characters and Realistic Touches

Captain America, Falcon, and the pilots were all turned into digital doubles. When possible, face plates of the actors were used. To help tell the story visually, visor types were used to show who’s who: clear for American pilots, dark for Japanese ones.

Celestial Island Returns

Celestial Island from Eternals is back. The VFX team built the ocean and clouds using Houdini and created a new Cloud Shader to stack layers of clouds for depth. The clouds were designed to match real lighting and add drama to the action.

Detailed Previs for Action Moments

The previs team, led by Cameron Ward, worked with the director to plan out key moments:

• Captain America blocking missiles with his shield
• Falcon’s wings charging up
• Jets crashing into Tiamut’s giant hand
• Captain America riding a missile mid-air

Making It Look Real

To make the jets and environment feel real, the team used real-life footage for reference. Reflections in cockpits, vapor trails, and camera shakes added to the realism. The VFX was created using tools like Nuke, Houdini, Maya, and Solaris.

A VFX Highlight of the Film

With a mix of strong planning and technical skill, Digital Domain helped create one of Marvel’s most memorable action scenes.

Captain America: Brave New World is now in theaters.