What Cull Obsidian From Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War Looks Like In Real Life
Cull Obsidian is the bruiser of Thanos' (Josh Brolin) Black Order as the larger-than-life villain packs a considerable punch, but the alien-like character is unrecognizable next to Terry Notary, the motion capture actor and stunt-double extraordinaire who plays the part.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Obsidian plays a key role in the villainous cosmic team's invasion of Earth, joining Ebony Maw (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) to track down an Infinity Stone the Mad Titan seeks on the planet. After sparring with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), getting his arm decapitated, and being teleported by the Master of Mystic Arts to Antarctica, Obsidian reunites with the Black Order. He's seen next during the Battle of Wakanda, in a juggernaut fight against Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) in Hulkbuster armor. He meets his end despite nearly toppling the hero after a fiery crash into a forcefield.
Cull Obsidian's comic book counterpart shares similar physical attributes as the villain, though he originally went by the name Black Dwarf in his first appearance in "New Avengers" #8 (by Hickman, Mike Deodato, Frank Martin Jr., and Joe Caramagna). In the comics, Black Dwarf is the brother of Corvus Glaive and an enforcer for Thanos' Black Order. Not only is the axe-wielder a dangerous offensive force, but his unbreakable skin makes him capable of withstanding even the deadliest attacks.
We know Terry Notary brings Cull Obsidian to life as the motion capture performer on the big screen, but he's worked extensively within the MCU and has been involved in a variety of other projects as well.
Notary is incredibly experienced in motion capture and stunts
Terry Notary has had a long career in Hollywood, beginning as a stunt performer on films such as "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "Planet of the Apes," and "X2." The veteran performer boasts an impressive resume, as he was a movement coach and performed stunts on "Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer," "The Incredible Hulk," and "War for the Planet of the Apes." Notary worked on multiple projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, performing motion capture for Groot in "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame." His most notable non-MCU project is probably "Avatar," where he was the movement coach.
As his motion capture performances as Cull Obsidian and Groot in the same movie show, Notary is an expert performer in the world of MoCap. While he might not be a household name, he plays a significant part in bringing some of the best CG characters to life. Next, Notary will do his thing in Joe and Anthony Russo's upcoming "Electric State." While his role in the movie hasn't been revealed, it's fair to assume he might do MoCap for one of the robot characters from the original Simon Stalenhag story.
Regardless of who he plays, Notary getting some credit in bigger films like the "Avengers" franchise is long-deserved, as he's more than put in enough time behind the scenes to earn his current opportunities.