AI-Made Opening For Marvel’s ‘Secret Invasion’

AI-Made Opening For Marvel’s ‘Secret Invasion’

Avengers assemble!… against AI? In a surprising move, both artists and fans are in agreement about Marvel’s new comic book TV show ‘Secret Invasion.’ Premiering on Disney+ yesterday, fans were upset to find that the opening sequence looked different than usual. In an unprecedented move the title sequence was AI-generated. With their usual mad dash to social media, fans vented their frustration with the billion-dollar company.

Criticizing the show, audiences are claiming that the media giant crossed an ethical line. As a controversial, hot-button topic, with issues ranging from job replacement, to broader ethical questions about art, AI has been at the forefront of the media world.

The show, based on the 2008 comic with the same title, follows Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) as he uncovers a secret invasion of Earth by the Skrulls (a shape-shifting alien species). Exploring themes of mistrust and identity, director and executive producer Ali Selim believed that the AI-generated graphics during the show’s title sequence fit perfectly.

Designed by Method Studies, a production house which has worked previously on a number of Marvel projects, Selim saw the medium of AI-art as a natural step for the show. As Selim explained in an interview with Polygon: “When we reached out to the AI vendors, that was part of it — it just came right out of the shape-shifting, Skrull world identity, you know? Who did this? Who is this?” In a collaborative effort, Selim and his team “would talk to them about ideas and themes and words, and then the computer would go off and do something. And then we could change it a little bit by using words, and it would change.”

When asked whether using AI was problematic for VFX artists, Selim made his opinion clear on that matter. “The production process was highly collaborative and iterative, with a dedicated focus on this specific application of an AI toolset,” Method Studios said. “It involved a tremendous effort by talented art directors, animators (proficient in both 2D and 3D), artists, and developers, who employed conventional techniques to craft all the other aspects of the project… However, it is crucial to emphasize that while the AI component provided optimal results, AI is just one tool among the array of toolsets our artists used. No artists’ jobs were replaced by incorporating these new tools; instead, they complemented and assisted our creative teams.” (Salem also admitted in the interview that he does not fully understand AI).

With a good, not great, rating from critics and fans alike, it seems like it would have been better for the show to stick with some original artwork for its opening sequence.