Credit: Marvel StudiosIt’s not the first time Disney’s Marvel Studios has been accused of using AI.
Related: Marvel to Reportedly Introduce New Professor X Actor in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’: First Look
Recently, Marvel Studios made a major announcement concerning the eagerly awaited third installment of the Deadpool film series, appropriately named Deadpool & Wolverine, also known as Deadpool 3. This newest Deadpool movie, directed by Deadpool 2 director Shawn Levy, will be incorporated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) following The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, which has since been rebranded as 20th Century Studios.
Actor Ryan Reynolds (Free Guy), famed for his depiction of Deadpool/Wade Wilson, teamed up with his “frenemy” Hugh Jackman, who portrayed Wolverine/Logan in the Fox X-Men Universe, to disclose the news. This initial shared revelation paved the way for the teaser trailer released during last Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII, confirming the highly anticipated arrival of these superhero characters into the MCU and solidifying Reynolds’ Deadpool as the central figure, often dubbed “Marvel Jesus,” within the unified Marvel universe.
Related: Disney Finally Listens to Fans, Scraps Old MCU Approach
After the explosive teaser trailer for Deadpool 3, it appears that Marvel is facing backlash once again for the potential use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their new online promotional material for the upcoming Deadpool franchise film Deadpool & Wolverine.
Marvel and AI: More Accusations
Marvel India’s official X (formerly Twitter) account is being called out by fans for allegedly using AI to promote the upcoming film Deadpool & Wolverine.
Can’t wade for this love story! #ValentinesDay2024 #Deadpool3 #Wolverine #Deadpool pic.twitter.com/dVrDeRkfzh
Can’t wade for this love story! 🫶🏼#ValentinesDay2024 #Deadpool3 #Wolverine #Deadpool pic.twitter.com/dVrDeRkfzh
— Marvel India (@Marvel_India) February 14, 2024
User @SpiderThatBites brought up the odd look of “Wolverine’s” glove — which appears to be similar to Deadpool’s glove but recolored yellow:
Not even wolverine’s glove wtf
Not even wolverine’s glove wtf
— Toxic Spider 🕸️ (@SpiderThatBites) February 14, 2024
@Wheresthesauce8 provides pictographic evidence of this discrepancy, with shots of the leaked Deadpool 3 iteration of the Wolverine suit for evidence:
Really guys?
Really guys? pic.twitter.com/BecZWUahTY
— justsumone57 (@Wheresthesauce8) February 14, 2024
@zerowontmiss was quick to call this out as AI — as did many other fans:
Not Ai big dawg @KeiziTV
Not Ai big dawg @KeiziTV
— Zero (@zerowontmiss) February 14, 2024
It looks like Marvel and The Walt Disney Company are once again under scrutiny for allegedly using AI in their promotional material. The backlash is likely over the fact that a major studio normalizing AI usage in this way is usually seen as “cheap” to the average viewer. Studios refusing to pay creatives (and turning to AI to “replace” human jobs) was one of the issues at the heart of last year’s SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) actor’s strike and the WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) writer’s strike, after all.
Are you excited for Deadpool & Wolverine? What do you think about the use of AI in movies and marketing? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
More on Deadpool & Wolverine
Previous reports detailed the extensive lineup of X-Men characters set to debut in Deadpool 3 within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This includes Halle Berry reprising her role as Ororo Munroe/Storm, Famke Janssen returning as Dr. Jean Grey, James Marsden revisiting his portrayal of Scott Summers/Cyclops, and the beloved Patrick Stewart returning as the iconic Professor Charles Xavier/Professor X, alongside Ian McKellen reprising his role as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto.
Additionally, there’s a possibility of incorporating the younger versions of Professor Xavier, Magneto, and Mystique from the Fox franchise, portrayed by James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence, respectively. Furthermore, rumors suggest that Channing Tatum and Jennifer Garner, who starred as Elektra in Ben Affleck’s Daredevil (2003), have also filmed scenes for the new Deadpool installment. Emma Corrin is rumored to play a variant of “Professor X” — Charles Xavier’s evil twin Cassandra Nova from the Marvel Comics.
These revelations represent merely a fraction of the anticipated cameos and roles in Deadpool & Wolverine. With speculation also surrounding Taylor Swift’s potential casting as either Dazzler or Lady Deadpool, the merging of the X-Men and MCU cinematic realms promises endless possibilities ahead of Captain America: Brave New World, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) has been cast as Paradox, a TVA agent set to bring Deadpool into the MCU.