Breaking Records: How De-Aging Changed Hollywood Forever

Marvel Studios has been using de-aging technology since the early 2000s, with X-Men: The Last Stand being the first film to utilize the technique for its actors. The studio has continuously employed it in its filmmaking process.

X-Men: The Last Stand was the first movie to use CGI de-aging effects, in which Fox digitally altered the appearance of actors Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen to appear younger. It was the first attempt at de-aging in a major film, and the VFX company Lola Visual Effects was tasked with the job.

To accomplish the effect, the team conducted extensive research, gathered photos of the actors when they were younger, and used digital skin grafts to smooth out their skin and tighten it, while digitally removing their noses and ears and reattaching them to make them look youthful. This innovative approach led to the success of the de-aging effect. Despite initial challenges, the studio has continuously used de-aging technology in its films.

Lola Visual Effects has remained the go-to studio for such effects in the film industry and is responsible for numerous films featuring de-aging technology. The technique has been around since the mid-2000s, and it is typically used for flashback scenes where filmmakers can keep the same actor without recasting for certain parts of the story.

As CGI techniques develop alongside artificial intelligence, we can expect to see de-aging employed more skillfully as time goes on.