‘Iron Man’ Cinematographer Says AI Could Cut Marvel’s VFX Costs, But Never Replace Its Actors

Artificial intelligence has become one of Hollywood’s most divisive topics, and few corners of the industry feel the tension more than blockbuster filmmaking. Now ‘Iron Man’ cinematographer Matthew Libatique has weighed in on what the technology could mean for the studio behind some of the biggest franchises on the planet.

Libatique, a 3-time Oscar nominee for ‘Black Swan’, ‘A Star Is Born’ and ‘Maestro’, was speaking at Evolution Mallorca, where he received the festival’s Cinematography Icon Award. The conversation touched on his own experiments with AI as well as the future of effects-heavy filmmaking.

His comments are notable because of who is saying them. His longtime collaborator Darren Aronofsky launched the AI studio Primordial Soup last year in partnership with Google DeepMind, so the technology is far from abstract in his working life.

Speaking to Variety, Libatique said AI will not replace cinema, but added, “What it could replace is Marvel.” He explained that Marvel and DC Studios make enormous films that depend heavily on visual effects, and that the sheer cost of those productions makes AI hard to avoid.

In his view, studios with budgets that large will eventually have to bring in AI to trim expenses on the VFX side. At the same time, he doubts Marvel would ever turn to AI actors.

Libatique pointed to the personalities that performers bring to these franchises. He credited stars like Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. with creating characters that audiences fall in love with, something he doesn’t believe a machine can replicate.

He extended the argument beyond superheroes. He said no one could convince him that an AI character could do what Robert Pattinson does, and that nobody is going to make ‘Sentimental Value’ with AI. For Libatique, audiences connect with human stories, and that connection is what keeps cinema alive.

Despite his skepticism, Libatique is not avoiding the technology. He confirmed that he and Aronofsky are planning an AI test before shooting their next film together, with Aronofsky curious how little a team can actually do by hand.

Libatique stressed that the film itself will remain human, with the crew standing on set and Aronofsky directing the way he always has. He has also used AI in post-production, such as correcting glare, and said he would rather use machine learning for that than outsource the work overseas.

He also recently shot Dustin Yellin’s short film ‘Goodbye Lamby’, which used AI to imagine a world inside one of Yellin’s sculptures. Libatique said stop-motion could once have achieved something similar, and he described the project as relatively successful.

Libatique isn’t blindly enthusiastic. He acknowledged that AI has taken work away from post-production professionals and said he feels for those affected. He also questioned when the technology will start replacing people more broadly.

He raised copyright worries too. On 2 occasions, he said, people sent him AI videos made by prompting a machine to shoot in the style of Matthew Libatique, which he found offensive. He added that he doesn’t see himself as having a signature style, since he adapts to each director, and argued that AI risks flattening individual taste.

His remarks land in a studio that has already faced backlash over the technology. In 2023, the opening credits of ‘Secret Invasion’ were made with AI by Method Studios, a decision that drew sharp criticism from artists and fans. The VFX company responded that no artists’ jobs were replaced and that AI was just one tool among many.

Robert Downey Jr. has also spoken about the subject, saying in the past that he would sue future executives if Marvel replicated his likeness with AI. Against that backdrop, Libatique’s split view is a revealing one: AI in the effects pipeline looks plausible to him, but the human face on screen is a line he doesn’t expect Marvel to cross.

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