Charlie Wen
- Art Department
- Animation Department
- Art Director
Pioneer of Visual Storytelling for over two decades for the entertainment industry's largest franchises, including 4 worldwide top 10 Films and triple A games. Charlie's unrivaled creative leadership in story, character, and world creation has culminated in global smash hits such as Marvel's The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, League of Legends, and God of War. He is most known for co-founding and heading Marvel's Visual Development, and was accountable for designing the look and feel of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Thor in 2008.
Charlie Wen was born and raised in Taichung, Taiwan before his family moved to New Albany, Indiana when he was 5. Not speaking a word of English, his sketches of teachers and classmates became a vehicle of making friends, and soon winning multiple international art competitions. He received a scholarship to study Fine Arts at Wheaton College near Chicago. After graduation, he moved to L.A. and taught figure drawing at Rhythm & Hues, Digital Domain, Art Center College of Design. While teaching at Rhythm & Hues, he was given an opportunity to work in production and realized the need to learn CG on the job. He decided the best industry to do so would be games and worked as a concept designer at Acclaim Entertainment on 'ECW' and 'Dave Mirra's BMX'.
In 2001, he joined Sony Computer Entertainment American in Santa Monica, founded and became the director of Visual Development on the multiple award-winning game series God of War 1 & 2. There he designed Kratos, creating one of the most iconic characters in video game history, and was key in defining the look and feel of the God of War franchise. 8 years and numerous awards later, Charlie moved on to concept and production design for animated film remakes of his favorite childhood cartoons - Gatchaman and Thundercats. This is also when he was given an opportunity to write story for film. Soon Charlie expanded into designing live action films such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Paradise Lost, Warcraft, Akira, and SuckerPunch all the while refining visual storytelling.
By 2009 Charlie was invited by Marvel Studios, where he founded and headed Marvel's Visual Development department with Ryan Meinerding. As a department co-head, Charlie was responsible for designing and integrating the look and feel of Marvel's innumerable iconic heroes and villains from divergent realms into one cohesive cinematic universe. He was also in charge of inspiring future scripts through the visual storytelling of keyframes, art-directing the costume department and visual effects houses. His films include Thor, Captain America: the First Avenger, Marvel's The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Thor: the Dark World, The Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, and early art-direction of Black Panther.
On 2014, Charlie moved to League of Legends' Riot Game to spearhead a future division of the world's biggest game. In 2016, Charlie partnered with MIT and Harvard in creating the Imaginarium of Technology. He also co-authored the novel The Dragon King to critical acclaim. In the same year, he founded TenSky Entertainment.
Charlie Wen was born and raised in Taichung, Taiwan before his family moved to New Albany, Indiana when he was 5. Not speaking a word of English, his sketches of teachers and classmates became a vehicle of making friends, and soon winning multiple international art competitions. He received a scholarship to study Fine Arts at Wheaton College near Chicago. After graduation, he moved to L.A. and taught figure drawing at Rhythm & Hues, Digital Domain, Art Center College of Design. While teaching at Rhythm & Hues, he was given an opportunity to work in production and realized the need to learn CG on the job. He decided the best industry to do so would be games and worked as a concept designer at Acclaim Entertainment on 'ECW' and 'Dave Mirra's BMX'.
In 2001, he joined Sony Computer Entertainment American in Santa Monica, founded and became the director of Visual Development on the multiple award-winning game series God of War 1 & 2. There he designed Kratos, creating one of the most iconic characters in video game history, and was key in defining the look and feel of the God of War franchise. 8 years and numerous awards later, Charlie moved on to concept and production design for animated film remakes of his favorite childhood cartoons - Gatchaman and Thundercats. This is also when he was given an opportunity to write story for film. Soon Charlie expanded into designing live action films such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Paradise Lost, Warcraft, Akira, and SuckerPunch all the while refining visual storytelling.
By 2009 Charlie was invited by Marvel Studios, where he founded and headed Marvel's Visual Development department with Ryan Meinerding. As a department co-head, Charlie was responsible for designing and integrating the look and feel of Marvel's innumerable iconic heroes and villains from divergent realms into one cohesive cinematic universe. He was also in charge of inspiring future scripts through the visual storytelling of keyframes, art-directing the costume department and visual effects houses. His films include Thor, Captain America: the First Avenger, Marvel's The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Thor: the Dark World, The Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, and early art-direction of Black Panther.
On 2014, Charlie moved to League of Legends' Riot Game to spearhead a future division of the world's biggest game. In 2016, Charlie partnered with MIT and Harvard in creating the Imaginarium of Technology. He also co-authored the novel The Dragon King to critical acclaim. In the same year, he founded TenSky Entertainment.
