2-D Animated Leaders?

[TyrannusRex]

Most mods just use static 2-D images for their leader's diplomacy screen; that's fine and all, since 3-D animation often takes a village (not to mention a bank), but I'd love to know if it'd be possible to actually animate a 2-D leader and have the game run it alongside other, 3-D leaders. The idle animation is just a loop, after all, and upon certain triggers (like accepting a deal) it could quickly switch to other, custom animations, just like how the game renders its leaders' reactions in real time. If it couldn't be done just by animating a flat image, I feel like you might get by with animating a very, very thin 3-D model, ala Mr. Game & Watch in Smash Bros.
What do you think?

 

[Deliverator]

It think it would be very hard/impossible to do that as the whole engine is set up for leaders to be 3D or static images only.

 

[TyrannusRex]

It think it would be very hard/impossible to do that as the whole engine is set up for leaders to be 3D or static images only.

It makes me wonder, though, if the extremely thin 3D model (ala Game & Watch) wouldn't work. The features would just be printed on one side, and would be shift/change with the model's shape as it "turns" or moves, effectively simulating traditional animation.
If not, perhaps it would be possible to trigger voice acting on a 2D leader.