The Marvel AI-generated opening credits for Secret Invasion have been met with disappointment and anger from fans, following the cinematic retelling of the comic storyline originally centered around the Skrulls, alien shapeshifters infiltrating the superhero community. There are a lot of lingering questions, concerns, and worries about the way AI is being used, and the whole thing is an underwhelming visual catastrophe.
The Marvel AI-generated Opening Credits
The Secret Invasion storyline itself had potential to be a kickass cinematic retelling, but Marvel Studios’ decision to work with an “AI Vendor” has sparked controversy and criticism. (An open letter to directors Chloe Classen and Katt Shea was written, imploring them to rethink their approach to animation and visual effects given the technology’s questionable track record in Hollywood and the consequences it poses to the VFX community.)
Industry professionals have spoken out against the use of AI to generate animated frames, calling it unethical and dangerous. Film director Sofia Jacquette comments, “AI has no awareness of what’s happening with the real world and is literally blind to figurative art. This is a human job.” Animation director and teacher Heather Laird shares, “This industry’s reliance on automation always does more harm than good.”
The director of Secret Invasion, Chloe Classen, defends the decision to use AI, pointing out that the credits “align with the theme of shape-shifting and the Skrull world identity.” She also defends similar decisions to use AI in an upcoming animation-related project. Her understanding of the technology seems limited, and it feels like this decision is part of a larger ignorance of the impacts it has on the industry. Surprisingly, this comes at a time when there are ongoing discussions about AI in Hollywood and controversies surrounding its use.
The end result of the AI-generated credits is a mess, looking visually unappealing across the board. The lifeless, dead-eyed visual identity of Samuel L. Jackson combined with awkward, poorly placed alien architecture makes for a messy sequence. It feels like someone opened Cinema 4D and just randomly started placing meshes. The lack of attention to detail, such as the incorrect number of fingers on the hands, adds to the overall messiness.
On top of this, and perhaps most importantly from a creative perspective, there are questions about the reliance on AI when human artists could easily achieve the desired shape-shifting visual identity, just like every other superhero film. Yes, there are occasional glimmers of potential in the AI-generated concept (which, again, is a flawed term, as these are not actually concepts), but they could easily be expanded upon by human touch. But not only does it look cheap, it also looks poorly executed. Again, the whole thing just feels like trash, and it’s a significant blow for Disney’s Marvel Studios, considering the lack of goodwill it already has among the VFX community.
This isn’t the first time the gaming industry has faced its own challenges with AI. Most recently, Bethesda faced criticism over the use of AI in the upcoming System Shock remake, with developers later clarifying that the AI was in fact human-made, rather than machine-generated. Games like Firmament, with its confusing AI scripts, have also given pause to AI experiments. There have been some interesting ventures, from the upcoming Hidden Door to Blurrr’s experimental animated short film starring performance capture performer Naotaka Ihaya, but the AI sludge in Secret Invasion’s credits raises concerns about the future of cutscenes.
It’s time to be cautious and considerate when incorporating AI into creative processes. While there are a few exciting prospects ahead, the AI sludge in Secret Invasion’s credits is a red flag, raising concerns about the future of in-game and cinematic storytelling. The PC Gamer newsletter always has plenty of industry updates, if you feel like subscribing.
