Did AI Create the Fantastic Four: First Steps Posters? Marvel Denies it, but the Quality Raises Questions

You might have heard about the buzz surrounding the initial posters from the Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer, with speculations running wild that AI was behind their creation. However, Marvel has stepped up to refute those claims.

We’re living in times when differentiating AI art from human-made work is increasingly challenging as technology advances. Not too long ago, if an image felt off, people immediately critiqued it as a sloppy Photoshop attempt. Nowadays, the immediate reaction is to suspect it’s AI-generated. This scenario played out recently with two posters accompanying the Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer. Upon inspection, you can see why the AI rumors started.

Take a closer look, and you’ll notice some peculiarities. There’s a woman’s face appearing twice in the crowd scene, and then there’s the person holding the biggest Fantastic Four flag who, intriguingly, only has four fingers. Missing or oddly proportioned fingers often hint at AI art. Plus, the lighting on both posters seems a bit off, adding to the AI speculation. Yet Marvel, through a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, clearly states that AI wasn’t involved in these works. So, if AI isn’t the culprit, it raises the question: why do the posters look so unpolished?

It feels like Marvel may be cutting corners, which is surprising, given the resources at their disposal. It’s kind of ironic because the trailer itself suggests a return to real sets, stepping away from over-relying on green screen—a refreshing change. I’m inclined to think these posters suffer from poor Photoshop skills; the repeated face is just too identical, which isn’t typical of AI. But this gives me pause. Why sink my time into a new Marvel release if even the most minor details feel glossed over?

Hopefully, when the film itself rolls out on July 25, it’ll meet the expectations we’ve come to associate with Marvel’s cinematic universe. We’ll just have to wait and see.