Late last year, social media was suddenly flooded with AI images. Since then, we've seen the emerging technology used in both positive and negative ways, and it remains a hotly debated tool in Hollywood.
Some believe it can streamline various aspects of production, while others feel that AI usage in any film or TV show is reason enough to write it off. The biggest concern is that real artists and creatives will lose their jobs, and we know all too well how AI can be abused.
For proof, look no further than an increasing number of AI-generated leaks being passed off as the real deal. Last December, a huge gallery of Avengers: Doomsday character photos hit platforms like X and Reddit and were dismissed as convincing phonies.
Later, we learned that they were real, and no longer lost in the barrage of AI fakes, Disney acted fast to wipe them off all platforms. Now, though, they've resurfaced and make for particularly interesting viewing as we're a couple of trailers in.
You'll have to click on each of the X posts for a closer look, but the biggest talking point now has to be the presence of The Sentry, a character completely absent from those sneak peeks.
There are also several shots of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, sitting on his throne and playing with a "blue screen" chessboard. Not every promotional shot will be used, but it's a little surprising that we haven't seen that one anywhere, especially as it's such a striking piece of imagery (if it does surface, the pieces will surely be created with VFX to resemble the Multiverse's Mightiest Heroes).
In a recent interview, Downey addressed the expectations surrounding the next Avengers movies. "It’s not even about how I executed it. It’s about the way it’s been structured and the other characters."
He continued, "There’s something going on in Doomsday, and forward that is literally the only antidote to 'How do you not have these films be a letdown after an Infinity War and Endgame?' And boy, have we laboured long and hard to bring that."
We don't know how long these Avengers: Doomsday photos will be available, so check them out below while you can.
In Avengers: Doomsday, beloved heroes from three distinct universes will be set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered.
Avengers: Doomsday stars Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Robert Downey Jr. Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Mabel Cadena, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman, India Rose Hemsworth, and Wesley Holloway all make their Avengers franchise debuts.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join them, as do X-Men franchise stars Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, with Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum.
The Russo Brothers direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. The movie is produced by Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, and Jonathan Schwartz, with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18.