Avengers: Doomsday Will Be Different From Other Marvel Movies in 1 Major Way

Marvel Studios is shifting direction with Avengers: Doomsday, and production designer Gavin Bocquet is at the center of that change. In a recent discussion, he outlined how the film will move away from the franchise’s longstanding dependence on digital effects. Instead, the production embraces practical set design and in-camera visuals, marking a distinct departure from the studio’s usual techniques.

Avengers: Doomsday production designer on how it will be different from other Marvel movies

Gavin Bocquet, production designer for Avengers: Doomsday, said the film will differ from past Marvel entries. The movie emphasizes practical sets and in-camera visuals over digital environments.

Referring to the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene that teases Avengers: Doomsday, Bocquet, in an interview with Young Indy Chronicles, stated, “Everything on that set was virtually in-camera… You could go anywhere, and even the screen they had to shoot.” This approach contrasts with Marvel’s standard use of blue screens and digital environments.

Bocquet highlighted that the scene was shot with minimal post-production, due to a limited three-day post window. “We used a physical backing, a sky backing, of New York outside the window,” he said. “There’s a monitor on the screen which shows the F4 ship coming in… because there was no time for post, everything on that set was virtually in-camera,” he added. Bocquet said the production approach also surprised the actors. They remarked it was “the first time we’ve been on a Marvel set where everything is in-camera.”

This practical focus is expected to continue throughout Avengers: Doomsday. Bocquet explained, “Wherever possible, we either had a Rosco backing that we created ourselves or a painted backing… on I think 80% of interior sets with backings.” Unlike past productions that defaulted to blue screen setups, the team prioritized physical environments to support both performance and visuals.

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo reportedly supported this approach. “Joe and Anthony really like that,” Bocquet said. He added that it was only used “wherever possible,” given the scale of Marvel’s environments. Drawing from his earlier work on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Bocquet concluded, “Filmmaking is an art of illusion, and if we can do it physically… we should.”