Thunderbolts poster sparks AI controversy among fans: What do we know so far? 

Thunderbolts poster sparks AI controversy among fans: What do we know so far?
The Thunderbolts poster is not made with AI (Image Via Marvel Entertainment)

Thunderbolts is Marvel's latest addition to its 2025 lineup. The upcoming superhero film will be released on May 2, 2025. The Marvel comics team of the same name inspires the film.

Many have accused Marvel of using AI to create the Thunderbolts poster. Marvel did not use AI to make the film's poster. Before we delve into the controversy, let's explore what the 2025 film is all about.

Thunderbolts is the last film in Marvel's phase five and is the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thunderbolts is set in the aftermath of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

The upcoming film will be about Marvel's ex-antagonists, who were hired by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to work on a black-ops team. The ex-antagonists/anti-heroes are compelled to join forces when they realize they are all targeted while carrying out the same mission.

The film's cast features Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hannah John-Kamen, Sebastian Stan, Geraldine Viswanathan, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, and Olga Kurylenko.


Why do fans believe Marvel used AI on Thunderbolts poster?

Fans believe that Marvel used AI to create the poster as they zoomed in on an extra finger on Sentry's hand. In the poster, Sentry (Lewis Pullman) has his hand up, and it looks like he has six fingers instead of five, with his pinky going outside the frame. Fans speculated this was a blunder by AI.

Many fans expressed disappointment in Marvel's lack of effort on social media platforms. Convinced that the poster was made with AI, many fans even advocated for discouraging the use of AI as it takes away opportunities from photographers and artists.


Is Thunderbolts poster AI generated?

Marvel did not use AI in the Thunderbolts poster. So, if you also saw a sixth finger, the finger resulted from tight editing. Since all the cast members are crammed together in the poster, what looks like a sixth finger is part of his pinky finger.

If you look closely and carefully, you will realize only the middle part of his pinky finger has been cut out of the frame. The top part of his pinky finger is what people are considering as the fifth finger before the sixth finger.

A sixth finger does not exist in the picture. Since only the bottom and top parts of the pinky finger are shown in the picture, it creates an illusion of two separate fingers.


Has Marvel used AI before?

Marvel has been known to use AI before. Marvel used AI to design the entire opening credits scene for their miniseries, Secret Invasion.

In the opening credits scene, Marvel used images of AI-generated city skylines, outer space, and extraterrestrial spaceships. In a statement released by Method Studios, whose AI technology was used to create the opening credits scene, stated,

"No artists' jobs were replaced by incorporating these new tools; instead, they complemented and assisted our crreative teams."

Thunderbolts will be available to watch on May 2, 2025. For the latest updates and stories about your favorite soaps, shows, and films, stay tuned to Soap Central.

comment icon
Comment
Edited by Sarah Nazamuddin Harniswala