History Main / DigitalDeaging

* ''Series/TheMandalorian'': Season 2 ends with [[spoiler:Luke Skywalker coming to the rescue of Mando, Grogu & co. Creator/MarkHamill's de-aged face was put on the body of stand-in Max Lloyd-Jones.]]

* ''Film/Scream2022'' uses this to show [[spoiler: Creator/SkeetUlrich as Billy Loomis]], the same age [[spoiler: he]] was in the [[Film/Scream1996 first film]], as [[spoiler: the hallucinations of his daughter, Sam]].

** ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' will feature Creator/AlfredMolina reprising his role as Doctor Octopus from ''Film/SpiderMan2'', with de-aging tech being used to make him look like he did back in 2004.

** ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' also used this for Patrick Stewart's cameo at the end of the movie. Unfortunately the CGI was much lower quality than what was used in ''The Last Stand'' and as a result Xavier falls into the UncannyValley.

* In 2021, Music/{{ABBA}} reunited to record a new album, ''Voyage''. They digitally recreated themselves as they looked in the late 70s for their music videos. Notably, Björn Ulvaes and Benny Andersson, both of whom were bearded at this point, had to shave their beards in order to get digitally scanned. It was especially tough for Benny, as he'd been bearded since the time ABBA had originally started.

** ''Film/AntMan1'' features a prologue where Hank Pym, as played by Creator/MichaelDouglas, is de-aged to look as the actor appeared in ''Film/WallStreet''. Its sequel, ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'', uses the same technology on Creator/MichellePfeiffer's Janet Van Dyne, and Creator/LaurenceFishburne's Bill Foster.

* In ''Film/TronLegacy'', CGI was used to make Creator/JeffBridges look as he appeared 28 years prior. While these scenes are few in number, CLU keeps this very appearance while Kevin Flynn appears as an older man.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_20190410_202201.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Footage from decades past, or CGI? Only some can tell.[[labelnote:*]]\\
top-left: Creator/IanMcKellen (''Film/XMenTheLastStand'')\\
middle-left: Creator/MichaelDouglas (''Film/AntMan1'')\\
bottom-left: Creator/KurtRussell (''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'')\\
top-right: Creator/SamuelLJackson (''Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}}'')\\
middle-top-right: Creator/PaulReubens (''Film/PeeWeesBigHoliday'')\\
middle-bottom-right: Creator/PatrickStewart (''Film/XMenTheLastStand'')\\
bottom-right: Creator/AnthonyHopkins (''Series/{{Westworld}}'')[[/labelnote]] ]]

For most of film history, the go-to tool for de-aging an actor has been makeup, to varying degrees of success. But modern innovations in CGI have allowed filmmakers to digitally de-age their actors, by digitally erasing wrinkles, mapping footage from the actor's youth onto the modern face, or some combination of the two. It's often a subtle variation of SerkisFolk--expect set images from films employing this technique to have actors' faces covered in plastic dots. It may also be combined with DigitalHeadSwap, placing the de-aged face on another actor entirely, usually a stunt double who can do things the older actor is no longer capable of or has the body proportions the character is supposed to have while the older actor doesn't have them anymore. It has allowed to avoid FakeShemp in a number of modern works.

For most of film history, the go-to tool for de-aging an actor has been makeup, to varying degrees of success. But modern innovations in CGI have allowed filmmakers to digitally de-age their actors, by digitally erasing wrinkles, mapping footage from the actor's youth onto the modern face, or some combination of the two. It's often a subtle variation of SerkisFolk--expect set images from films employing this technique to have actors' faces covered in plastic dots. It may also be combined with DigitalHeadSwap, placing the de-aged face on another actor entirely, usually a stunt double who can do things the older actor is no longer capable of or has the body proportions the character is supposed to have while the older actor doesn't have them anymore.

For most of film history, the go-to tool for de-aging an actor has been makeup, to varying degrees of success. But modern innovations in CGI have allowed filmmakers to digitally de-age their actors, by digitally erasing wrinkles, mapping footage from the actor's youth onto the modern face, or some combination of the two. It's often a subtle variation of SerkisFolk--expect set images from films employing this technique to have actors' faces covered in plastic dots. It may also be combined with DigitalHeadSwap, placing the de-aged face on another actor entirely, usually a stunt double who can do things the older actor is no longer capable of.

* ''Series/TheMandalorian'': Season 2 ends with Luke Skywalker coming to the rescue of Mando, Grogu & co. Creator/MarkHamill's de-aged face was put on the body of stand-in Max Lloyd-Jones.

** ''Film/RogueOne'', which was set just before ''Film/ANewHope'', has a brief appearance by Creator/CarrieFisher's Princess Leia, as she appeared in that film.
** ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' features a brief flashback of a younger Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, with the characters appearing as they did around the time of ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''. As Carrie Fisher had passed away by this point, her daughter Billie Lourd acted as her stand-in.

** ''Film/Candyman2021'' utilizes this in its climax, with Creator/TonyTodd appearing exactly as he did in the first film.

** ''Spider-Man: No Way Home'' will feature Creator/AlfredMolina reprising his role as Doctor Octopus from ''Film/SpiderMan2'', with de-aging tech being used to make him look like he did back in 2004.

** ''Spider-Man: No Way Home'' will feature Alfred Molina reprising his role as Doctor Octopus from ''Film/SpiderMan2'', with de-aging tech being used to make him look like he did back in 2004.

* In ''Film/{{Waterworld}}'', Creator/KevinCostner forced the VFX crew to digitally hide his receding hairline.
* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMenTellNoTales'' uses this for a flashback scene of a young Jack Sparrow.
* In ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'', CGI was used to de-age Creator/PatrickStewart and Creator/IanMcKellen for a flashback in which they first meet Jean Grey.
** ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' also used this for Patrick Stewart's cameo at the end of the movie. Unfortunately the CGI was much lower quality than what was used in ''The Last Stand'' and as a result Xavier falls into the UncannyValley.

* In ''Film/TronLegacy'', CGI was used to make Creator/JeffBridges look as he appeared 28 years prior. While these scenes are few in number, CLU keeps this very appearance while Kevin Flynn appears as an older man.

** ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' is set in the 1990s and used CGI to give virtually seamless de-aged portrayals of Creator/SamuelLJackson and Creator/ClarkGregg as Nick Fury and Phil Coulson, respectively.

* ''Film/BladeRunner2049'' used this for a scene where a recreation of [[Creator/SeanYoung Rachael]] interacts with the aged Deckard.
* ''Film/TheIrishman'' uses this for long stretches of its runtime, allowing the septuagenarian Creator/RobertDeNiro, Creator/JoePesci and Creator/AlPacino to play characters in their 30s and 40s.
* ''Film/GeminiMan'' uses this to show an assassin played by Creator/WillSmith face off against a much younger clone of himself.
* ''Film/ItChapterTwo'' uses this on flashbacks of the younger Losers from ''Film/{{It|2017}}''.
* This is used in ''Film/GrudgeMatch'' to show early matches between Billy "The Kid" [=McDonnen=] (Creator/RobertDeNiro) and Henry "Razor" Sharp (Creator/SylvesterStallone).
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** ''Film/RogueOne'', which was set just before ''Film/ANewHope'', has a brief appearance by Creator/CarrieFisher's Princess Leia, as she appeared in that film.
** ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' features a brief flashback of a younger Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, with the characters appearing as they did around the time of ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''. As Carrie Fisher had passed away by this point, her daughter Billie Lourd acted as her stand-in.
* ''Film/Aquaman2018'' opens with a flashback that features de-aged versions of Arthur's parents, played by Creator/NicoleKidman and Creator/TemueraMorrison. Another flashback also does this with Creator/WillemDafoe's Vulko.
* ''Film/KingsmanTheGoldenCircle'' features a flashback with a de-aged Creator/ColinFirth.
* ''Film/PeeWeesBigHoliday'' used a combination of this and make-up to make Creator/PaulReubens appear as he did in the previous Pee-wee films.
* ''Film/TheHobbitTheDesolationOfSmaug'' and ''Film/TheHobbitTheBattleOfTheFiveArmies'' both utilized this on Creator/OrlandoBloom's Legolas, to account for the fact that the character (being an Elf) doesn't age, but 10 real-world years had passed since the previous trilogy - which were also set 60 years ''after'' these films.
* ''Film/AmericanPastoral'' uses this on Creator/JenniferConnelly early in the film, making her appear as she did in ''Film/TheRocketeer''.
* ''Film/Coming2America'': Creator/EddieMurphy and Creator/ArsenioHall, who already look fantastic for their respective ages here (58 and 63 at the time of filming), are de-aged by about 30 years for a flashback that expands upon the club scene from the [[Film/ComingToAmerica first film]].

* ''Series/TwinPeaks: the Return'' features a scene where Agent Cooper [[spoiler:saves Laura Palmer, with Sheryl Lee made youthful through a combination of CGI and lighting]].

** [[spoiler: Creator/KathrynHahn was digitally de-aged for her flashback scene in 1693 during Episode 8 of Series/WandaVision.]]

** ''Film/AntMan1'' features a prologue where Hank Pym, as played by Creator/MichaelDouglas, is de-aged to look as the actor appeared in ''Film/WallStreet''. Its sequel, ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'', uses the same technology on Creator/MichellePfeiffer's Janet Van Dyne.

** ''Film/AntMan1'' features a prologue where Hank Pym, as played by Creator/MichaelDouglas, is de-aged to look as the actor appeared in ''Film/WallStreet''. Its sequel, ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'', uses the same technology on Creator/MichellePfeiffer's Janet Van Dyne, and Creator/LaurenceFishburne's Bill Foster.

** Marvel's first foray into this treatment was actually with [[InvertedTrope the reverse of this effect]], as ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' opted to age up Creator/HayleyAtwell digitally when the crew weren't satisfied with aging her up with makeup during tests.

** Marvel's first foray into this treatment was actually with [[InvertedTrope the reverse of this effect]], as ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' opted to age up Creator/HayleyAtwell digitally when the crew weren't satisfied with aging her up with how makeup tests made her look.