8. Mysterio’s Visions (Spider-Man: Far From Home)
In 2019, Marvel capped off Phase 4 of the MCU with the third ‘Spider-Man 2’ film in 15 years. Spider-Man: Far From Home saw director Jon Watts return, alongside Tom Holland as the web-slinger. It struck a chord with critics and audiences and soon became the first Spider-Man film to gross $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
The film also introduced a new villain in the form of Quentin Beck/Mysterio, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Since Mysterio’s involvement was announced, fans had wondered just how the film would bring to life his particular modus operandi.
Mysterio is a master of special effects. He uses carefully crafted illusions to obfuscate reality and make things appear different to how they really are.
The MCU iteration of the character uses a mix of hologram and drone technology to create huge elemental monsters, which he then fights off in televised displays of theatrical faux-heroism.
Later in the film, once Mysteryio’s true villainous intentions have been revealed, we get the movie’s standout scene. Spider-Man is ripped from reality and tumbles down a rabbit hole of Mysterio’s creation.
The sequence is a delight; a visual cacophony of trippy imagery and disturbing visions.
The whole thing glistens with ingenuity as it leaps from one great visual to another. Spider-Man never really knows what’s real. We’re just as trapped as he is, so we can’t help but marvel at the fantastic display before us.
The occasional instance where the real world does break through (Spider-Man webbing the crane) only adds to the scene and shows the attention to detail.
The company responsible for the sequence, Framestore, released a video on how they created the visual effects. It’s well worth checking out.
