Beloved children's character Thomas the Tank Engine has a new look. Over the years since his creation in 1945 Thomas has gone through various iterations, from classic illustration to live action and CGI. Most recently he was 2D animated.
The new character design was created after research and testing with preschoolers and their parents, and is more 3D than before. He also has a more pronounced smile, revealing bright white straight teeth, big eyes and is more realistic overall compared to the 2021 version. He looks... dare I say it, a little like he's been AI generated. But hey, perhaps that's what children these days expect?! But to me he's a little too polished, in a way that unnerves me slightly. Though of course, I'm not the target audience.
