After more than half a year of silence, Marvel Studios has officially returned with the project Secret Invasion. This series is the first installment in Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), marking the return of “old man” Nick Fury after his unexpected appearance in the after-credits scene of the blockbuster Spider-Man: Far From Home.
The first episode of Secret Invasion premiered on June 21 and immediately received a lot of mixed reviews, particularly regarding its visual effects and special effects. The reason is that the entire opening sequence of the series was entirely created using artificial intelligence (AI). This could be seen as the first major project in the film industry to use AI technology to produce part of the visual content in an official product, while also being an important milestone in the overall development process of this technology.
The opening sequence of Secret Invasion features many stunning visual images, with a dominant green hue, particularly suitable for the alien Skrull theme, all created by AI – Photo: Internet.
According to Ali Selim, the director and executive producer of the project Secret Invasion, the opening sequence of this film is a product of Method Studios – a company that has collaborated multiple times with Marvel Studios through projects like Loki, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel. Selim stated that, like many others, he does not fully understand how AI operates. However, he is particularly impressed and excited by how AI can create products according to his desires and vision.
“We just need to share ideas, about the theme, about key terms,” Selim explained, “And the machine can adapt based on that. After that, we can change a few key terms, and the machine will also adjust accordingly.”
Director Ali Selim particularly appreciates the strengths that AI brings – Photo: Internet.
In contrast to Selim’s excitement and enthusiasm, there are many artists and special effects technicians who are concerned about this project. Many believe that AI-generated products are a serious infringement on intellectual property rights on a large scale. There are also individuals worried that AI will completely replace human labor in the near future – one of the reasons leading to the ongoing strikes in Hollywood recently.
Jeff Simpson, a senior visual effects artist involved in Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion project (but not part of the opening sequence team), stated: “The introduction of Secret Invasion was created by AI. I am truly concerned. I believe AI is a dangerous, under-regulated tool designed to undermine the creativity of artists. I have dedicated a year to contributing to this series and had an incredible experience with the most wonderful people I have ever known.”
Director Stephen Ford also did not hide his discontent regarding Marvel Studios’ new strategy: “Marvel/Disney doesn’t lack money, but they still use AI to create the opening sequence of Secret Invasion. This is truly a slap in the face of any artist who has ever worked with Disney, and it is causing turmoil among everyone involved in this project.”
The artistic community is very dissatisfied with Marvel/Disney’s decision to use AI in their projects – Photo: Internet.
In addition, speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, a representative from Method Studios revealed that they had created a special AI tool to execute Secret Invasion, while also emphasizing that “no artistic process will be replaced in this new technology integration.”
Specifically, Method Studios stated: “The production process (of Secret Invasion) is collaborative and continuous, focusing on the effective use of this AI tool. It involves the vast creative resources of the artistic directors, including 2D and 3D animation studios, visual artists, and various animators – individuals who have utilized their full skill set to create all aspects of the project.”
“However, it should be noted that while AI brings very useful results, it is just one of many tools that our artists have used. The entire process is still dependent on a professional artistic direction, including the initial storyboarding stage, illustrations, AI-generated imagery, 2D/3D animation production, and the final polished product integration.”
Source: TechCrunch, Polygon
