The official teaser trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps has launched and the marketing is in full swing. The trailer amassed a stunning 202 million views across all platforms in its first 24 hours of release, becoming one of the buzziest Marvel trailers ever. Not a bad start for what is sure to be one of the biggest movies of the year.
Since that release, the Fantastic Four have been everywhere. Most fans love what they see, others have questions, and even the haters have plenty to say. But one thing is certain: Everyone is talking about the Fantastic Four.
Additionally, the promotional art attracted the ire of the Marvel Universe fandom, with some speculating that Marvel Studios has used AI when designing it. And, within hours of its release, the rumor was all over social media.
Here it is for investigation.
It seems authentic for the time period as if it was taken from "The Saturday Evening Post" in all its Rockwellian prestige. Yet, that's not where the fascination ended. Does anything in that poster appear real to you? That was the question on the minds of fans analyzing it on social media.
Upon much closer inspection, according to one eagle-eyed fan on social media, one hand has three fingers (see the hand holding the flag on the far left). There is also a lady whose face shows up twice in the crowd (look at the camera and see the background face to its right and at its 10 o'clock). Both of these are frequent problems of AI development.
Usually mindful of fandom, Marvel Studios has denied any use of AI in their work. Although they haven't commented publicly, a sage spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter that this was not the case. As the THR post reveals:
"The backlash led to assumptions that Marvel had used AI to develop the image, but a spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter this was not true."
Whether this is AI or just schlocky photoshop work, it's unlike Marvel Studios to do anything ham-handed, particularly after the controversy over the use of AI in the opening credits of Disney Plus series Secret Invasion.
For your viewing pleasure, Marvel Studios created a special environment for a viewing party of the Fantastic Four trailer in the heart of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. This is how it's supposed to be done, featuring the entire first family of Marvel. Hats off to the Future Foundation for this exceptional blast-off.