AI (Artificial Intelligence) has become a real sticking point for those either in the industry or who simply enjoy film and TV as a viewer. Marvel Studios faced widespread backlash for its AI-generated Secret Invasion opening credits, but few complained when the technology was used to help give Darth Vader James Earl Jones' unmistakable voice in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
For the second year in a row, Coca-Cola has come under fire for its AI Christmas commercial, but most "normal" people don't actually seem to care. And that is why you've had to repeatedly explain that the photos and videos sent to you by various family members on Facebook aren't real!
The fact is, AI has its positives and negatives. There are many ways the technology can make our lives better, and just as many ways it's undeniably making them worse. Studios are wrestling with how best to utilise AI, all while protecting their precious, precious IPs. However, as advancements continue, we're seeing an influx of fake "leaks."
Some of these are so blatantly fake that you can't help but roll your eyes. The only person who's gonna believe that this is the real deal is the uncle who has been sending you all those videos of Donald Trump flying a poop-filled jet...
Still, some are a little harder to shrug off, though they do somewhat give themselves away with small inconsistencies. These, for example, look legit until you realise that Chris Hemsworth's hair doesn't match and spot the red scarf, which appears to be floating around his neck.
However, there are some really convincing efforts like these cast photos that have since been revealed as fake after an X user admitted to making them with an AI tool.
The lighting looks right, the costumes all have the various and now expected cosmetic updates, and there's nothing here at first glance that screams AI. Heck, we very nearly excitedly published an article earlier today to confirm that Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, after all!
The question is, are these fake leaks good or bad news for Marvel Studios? On the one hand, if no one knows what's real, then when the legitimate leaks happen, they're more likely to be dismissed by fans and won't spread on social media or be covered by sites like the one you're on now.
On the other hand, if fans do believe they're real, there's a risk they'll be disappointed when, say, Captain Marvel is absent from the next Avengers movie. After all, she was in "that" leaked image!
If Disney and Marvel Studios can protect their IP in a way that will stop AI generators from creating images like those you see above, then we could soon see a swift end to what's beginning to feel like an endless barage of phony reveals (we yearn for the days of a random piece of real promo art from an upcoming blockbuster finding its way online in place of this AI slop).
Looking at the bigger picture, if AI images like these can fool even die-hard fans, how else is the technology being utilised to lie and manipulate those who unwittingly encounter it? AI remains largely unregulated, and when it comes to a movie like Avengers: Doomsday, it's either helping to preserve the surprise or harming a genre—and industry—that's already struggling. Ultimately, it's probably doing both, and that doesn't feel like a win for anyone.