Released on Disney+ this week, The Punisher: One Last Kill received generally positive reviews, apart from one particular scene that garnered significant backlash. Viewers were shocked by a stunt shot where the fall of vigilante Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) onto a large crate seemed unfinished and suspiciously like computer-generated imagery (CGI). After some slowing down and zooming in, people began comparing it to game cutscenes from titles such as Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne or The Last of Us.

The shot quickly became a meme, with many convinced that it was AI-generated. However, the production source has since revealed that it was actually a real in-camera shot where Bernthal performed the initial part of the fall, while his stuntman handled the moment of impact. The only VFX used were standard procedures to replace the stuntman's face with Bernthal’s.

This incident highlights how every piece of artwork and scene in a movie can be dissected by fans nowadays, as they become more savvy about VFX techniques, especially AI. Yet, it also demonstrates that practical stunts can sometimes look artificial when combined with face swapping and other effects. The controversy serves as another reminder of the fine line between realism and digital perfection.