The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe installment, Fantastic Four: First Steps, features Franklin Richards, the super-powered offspring of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. Interestingly, the character is brought to life by a team of actual infant actors. However, in several scenes, the superhero child is rendered using computer-generated imagery (CGI). Given Franklin’s immense cosmic abilities and involvement in spectacular sequences, the studio’s decision to use CGI is understandable. This allowed the character to seamlessly interact with other digitally created figures like the Thing and the formidable Galactus. Yet, the sight of a fully CGI baby in a live-action setting retains a certain degree of artificiality, a phenomenon that, despite technological advancements, has only marginally improved in recent years.
For fans of the Twilight saga, Franklin’s CGI portrayal might evoke memories of Renesmee, the half-human, half-vampire child. In Breaking Dawn – Part 1, Renesmee’s infancy is depicted through CGI. As the character ages in Part 2, young actors with Mackenzie Foy’s (the final actor portraying Renesmee) face digitally superimposed are used. While Franklin doesn’t age rapidly, his extended screen time as a CGI baby in Fantastic Four: First Steps can feel unsettling when the character’s expressions appear slightly unnatural. This experience resonates with the reactions to Renesmee’s CGI depiction.
Fortunately, a time jump in the mid-credits sequence of Fantastic Four: First Steps shows Franklin as a four-year-old, potentially retiring the CGI baby for future appearances in projects like Avengers: Doomsday. This situation highlights the challenges of integrating CGI characters seamlessly into live-action films. A certain level of realism often remains elusive, even with advanced animation techniques. Perhaps another decade of development will bridge this gap. As of 2025, the digital ghost of Renesmee Cullen still haunts the world of computer-generated babies.