As creative forces behind the world’s entertainment fight for change in the film and television industry, some artists think Marvel is pouring salt on open wounds by using AI to create the opening credits sequence for its new Disney+ series Secret Invasion. The series debuted to rave reviews last night. Still, artists who make their living by creating visual spectacles say Marvel’s use of AI to start the show’s opening credits is a slap to the face, especially during a time of extreme unrest.
In the Secret Invasion opening credits, the AI creates a painterly art style that continuously morphs as the names of cast and crew members appear on the screen. The look reflects the shapeshifting nature of the Skrulls, a menacing alien race that’s presumably been infiltrating the MCU for years. The smearing watercolor motif is stylish. However, knowing AI created the sequence instead of human hands is ruffling feathers throughout the industry.
AI art is a hot topic in Hollywood, with artists saying they’re concerned about the computer-generated workaround replacing them on projects large and small. Concerns related to AI art include artists having their styles stolen and recreated without permission. An artist can see their signature look repurposed without consent or compensation. As we delve deeper into the hellscape of AI, more companies have begun using this creative method as a workaround for paying artists and cutting production time.
While the outcry against Marvel’s use of AI for Secret Invasion isn’t universal, it poses many questions about entertainment’s future and an artist’s place in the creative process. AI enthusiasts like Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa, who uses AI to build a chatbot version of herself online, says Marvel’s use of AI is the start of an exciting era in entertainment. “It felt explorative and inevitable, and exciting, and different,” Kaitlyn told Polygon in a recent interview.
What do you think about Marvel’s use of AI to create the opening credits sequence for Secret Invasion? Is Marvel adding insult to injury for people marching with the WGA strikers? Is this style of creating the start of a slippery slope? Let us know what you think in the comments below.