Marvel addresses AI backlash as Fantastic Four reveal goes viral for wrong reasons
MarvelThe first trailer for the MCU’s Fantastic Four has finally been released, but the new film is going viral for all the wrong reasons amid AI backlash.
The Fantastic Four is one of Marvel’s oldest and most famous groups. They debuted in the comics in 1961, and Invisible Woman, Mister Fantastic, Human Torch, and The Thing have been mainstays ever since.
Despite receiving the live-action treatment twice before, this upcoming adaptation, Fantastic Four: First Steps, marks the group’s proper introduction into the MCU in a new standalone adventure, with the cast already confirmed to return for Avengers: Doomsday.
While the trailer was widely praised and included some clever Easter eggs, eagle-eyed fans noticed some strange-looking details in the new posters that arrived on February 4, 2025 alongside the teaser.
Marvel fans quickly flooded social media, dissecting the poster and accusing Marvel of using AI in the artwork. They questioned the design’s inconsistencies, particularly one individual with only four fingers and two women in the background who appear to have the exact same faces.
Marvel responds amid accusations Fantastic Four post is “AI slop”
“It’s clearly AI,” wrote one X user (formerly Twitter), while another added on Reddit, “Bruh, why can’t they just hire an artist to make the posters? I hate this AI slop.”
Following the backlash, a Marvel spokesperson confirmed to both The Wrap and The Hollywood Reporter that AI was not used to create these posters.
However, despite their efforts to dispel the accusations that AI was used for the new Fantastic Four posters, fans are still convicted of their beliefs.
Additional X users commented, “That hand with four fingers says otherwise,” and “Yeah, I don’t know about that chief”, in response to Marvel denying the poster was generated using AI
AI’s presence in promotional content for films and the product itself has been a significant topic lately. Netflix has been criticized for using AI multiple times, including for Arcane season 2.
Most recently, the Oscar-nominated film The Brutalist was in trouble after rumors spread on the internet that the production team had used AI to enhance dialogue.