Credit: DisneyHollywood has never been shy about chasing youth. With advancements in CGI and facial reconstruction tech, filmmakers have found new ways to turn back the clock—at least visually. From franchise nostalgia plays to full-blown digital resurrections, de-aging has become one of the industry’s favorite visual tricks.
The results, however, are often less than convincing. While some efforts have drawn praise (think Michael Douglas in Ant-Man), others land squarely in the uncanny valley, transforming actors into waxy, glassy-eyed versions of themselves. And in a few cases, it’s not just unsettling—it’s distracting enough to derail the story entirely.
These are some of the most infamous examples of cinematic de-aging gone wrong.
Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
There was plenty of buzz surrounding the return of Indy—and even more around Disney’s choice to digitally de-age Harrison Ford for an extended opening sequence. Rather than a brief flashback, the film opens with a 20-minute set piece featuring a version of Ford meant to look decades younger.
The result veers from impressive to uncanny within the span of a single scene. At times, his face appears oddly smooth and weightless, creating a mismatch between the CGI youth and the grizzled voice and body language of a then-80-year-old Ford. Instead of immersing viewers in the action, it raises the question: why not just recast?
The Losers Club, It Chapter Two (2019)
It (2017) succeeded in large part due to its charismatic young cast. By the time Chapter Two began filming, though, many of those actors had aged noticeably—especially Finn Wolfhard. Rather than adjust the timeline or recast scenes, Warner Bros opted for digital de-aging.
The results were jarring. Smooth, glassy skin and subtly warped facial proportions gave the characters an almost animated look. Young Richie Tozier became especially unsettling, with Vulture dubbing him “the scariest part of It Chapter Two”—no small feat in a film starring Pennywise.
Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
Disney has long been praised for its visual effects, particularly in the original Pirates trilogy. But the fifth installment took a hard left into uncanny valley territory with a flashback scene featuring a digitally de-aged Johnny Depp.
Rather than recreating the roguish charm of young Jack Sparrow, the sequence delivered something closer to a wax museum animatronic: lifeless eyes, stiff expressions, and an odd detachment that couldn’t capture Depp’s signature energy.
Princess Leia, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Leia’s appearance at the end of Rogue One was meant to be a rousing surprise—a digital bridge connecting the prequel directly to Star Wars: A New Hope (1977). What audiences got instead was a fleeting, ghost-like version of Carrie Fisher.
While the intent was clearly nostalgic, the execution felt off. Her movements were slightly delayed, and her face had an unnatural glow, giving the whole moment an eerie, hollow feeling instead of the emotional punch it was aiming for. Billie Lourd was right there, Lucasfilm!
Tony Stark, Captain America: Civil War (2016)
To set up Tony Stark’s emotional arc, Civil War opens with a scene from his past. Using “B.A.R.F.” technology (yes, that’s canon), a college-aged Stark relives his last encounter with his parents.
The visual effects are solid—Robert Downey Jr’s younger self is a close match. The problem is tonal. The de-aged Stark looks like a twenty-something, but still sounds like the actor in his fifties. The mismatch is disorienting and hard to shake, undercutting the scene’s emotional weight.
Nick Fury, Captain Marvel (2019)
Unlike most examples on this list, Samuel L. Jackson’s de-aging in Captain Marvel isn’t limited to a brief flashback—it’s sustained throughout the film. The 1990s-set origin story required Fury to appear a few decades younger, and Marvel spared no expense.
While Jackson’s face is impressively smoothed over, the CGI starts to show cracks during faster-paced sequences and close-ups. There’s a rubbery quality that becomes harder to ignore the longer you look, especially in contrast to other characters who aren’t digitally altered.
Luke Skywalker, The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett (2020–2022)
Though not technically a film, the de-aged Luke Skywalker appearances in Disney+’s The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett sparked debate.
The first attempt, in The Mandalorian Season 2 finale, was panned for its frozen expression and stiff delivery. Disney later improved the tech, even hiring a deepfake YouTuber who had done it better independently. Still, the digital Luke remained emotionally flat and noticeably artificial, especially in longer scenes.
Regardless, executive producer Jon Favreau is convinced that the best is yet to come from CGI de-aging. “We still have a few years before it really gets indistinguishable, but I’m telling you it will get to a point where you can’t tell them apart,” he said (via the BBC). We’ll see about that, Jon.
What do you think is the worst example of de-aging in cinema?