No digital tricks here: Captain America's 'Civil War' bicep bulge was all Chris Evans
LOS ANGELES -- They were the guns gawked at 'round the world.
And get this: They were real.
The moment in Captain America: Civil War when Cap holds down Bucky's departing helicopter had all the hallmarks of a digital-beauty enhancement -- and hey, there's no shame in that. Just about everyone gets a little help in postproduction these days.
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But Civil War directors Joe and Anthony Russo, doing the rounds to promote the film's home video release, swear on a stack of comic books: That shot was all in-camera. 100% Grade A Chris Evans Beefcake, nothing more.
Forgive us for being dubious. I mean, look at that thing:
But the Russo Brothers told Mashable on Wednesday that nothing about that shot was enhanced. (Watch for Mashable's exclusive clip from the DVD extras tomorrow.)
"Listen to this," Anthony Russo said. "The very first meeting we ever had with Marvel, when we came in to ask about Winter Soldier for the very first time, we asked them, 'Did you guys enhance [Evans] when he came out of that pod [in The First Avenger]?' And they were like, 'No. We swear to god, we didn't touch him. That's all Chris Evans."
So it is with Civil War.
And by the way, the inspiration for the "Marvel moment" actually came from another iconic muscle-man, who you may have seen if you've ever been up 5th Avenue going past Rockefeller Center in Manhattan:
"Joe initially came up with the idea that he would hold the helicopter down," Anthony Russo told Mashable, "but that shot was very specific ... I remember before we shot it I was in Rock Center and looking at the statue of Atlas -- and I'm thinking, what's the quintessential Captain America 'Atlas shot?' That shot was very much designed to that end, to be evocative of that Atlas statue there, in terms of showing his strength."
"The whole group gathered around when we shot it and were marveling at him, just like, 'I can't believe how big his guns are.'"
And it wasn't just us moviegoers who were impressed, folks.
"The guy gets so ripped to play that part," Joe Russo said. "I think the whole group gathered around when we shot it and were marveling at him, just like, 'I can't believe how big his guns are.'"
Neither can we.
Captain America: Civil War comes to Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on Sept. 2, then on Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand Sept. 13.
Josh Dickey is Mashable's Entertainment Editor, leading Mashable's TV, music, gaming and sports reporters as well as writing movie features and reviews.Josh has been the Film Editor at Variety, Entertainment Editor at The Associated Press and Managing Editor at TheWrap.com.A finalist for the Los Angeles Press Club's Best Entertainment Feature in 2015 for "Everyone is Altered: The Secret Hollywood Procedure that Fooled Us for Years," Josh received his BA in Journalism from The University of Minnesota.In between screenings, he can be found skating longboards, shredding guitar and wandering the streets of his beloved downtown Los Angeles.
