Marvel has firmly denied using artificial intelligence (AI) to create the promotional posters for their upcoming film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, despite fans pointing out anomalies in one of the images. The marketing campaign for the movie began this week with a teaser for the debut trailer and a collection of posters shared on social media.
One particular poster caught the attention of fans due to an image of a man holding a large Fantastic Four flag, who appears to have only four fingers on his left hand. This led to speculation and scrutiny, with some fans suggesting that the poster was created using generative AI. They cited issues such as duplicated faces, misaligned gazes, and disproportionate limbs as evidence.
However, a spokesperson from Disney/Marvel clarified to IGN that AI was not used in the creation of these posters, prompting questions about what might have caused the observed discrepancies. Theories regarding the four-fingered man range from the finger being obscured behind the flagpole to it being a simple oversight in the post-production process. Some believe the missing finger might have been present in the original image but was accidentally removed without adjusting the rest of the hand accordingly.
The issue of duplicated faces has also been attributed to common digital editing techniques, such as copy-pasting background actors, rather than the use of AI.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps - Trailer 1 Stills
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While Disney/Marvel has not yet provided a detailed explanation for the four-fingered man, the controversy has sparked widespread speculation and increased scrutiny on future promotional materials for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. As the debate continues, fans eagerly await more information on the film, including insights into key characters like Galactus and Doctor Doom.
