Key Takeaways
- Fans accused Marvel Studios of using AI for the Thunderbolts poster due to perceived errors.
- The supposed sixth finger on a character in the poster was debunked as an odd placement.
- Despite concerns over AI in movie marketing, Donald Glover defended its potential benefits.
The new Thunderbolts* trailer was accompanied by a poster featuring Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, MCU newcomer Lewis Pullman as Sentry, and the rest of the ensemble cast. Fans spotted what appeared to be evidence that Marvel Studios used AI to create the Thunderbolts* movie poster, but other observers quickly debunked this theory.
When the new Thunderbolts* trailer dropped, Marvel Studios also released a poster featuring the ragtag team of misfits, which includes Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost, Wyatt Russell’s U.S. Agent, Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster, and David Harbour’s Red Guardian. The Thunderbolts* poster also featured Pullman’s Sentry, one of the most powerful characters in Marvel Comics lore, and fans noticed a strange detail that prompted accusations of AI being used for the image.
As noted by X users such as Peyton: Super Nerd, the Thunderbolts* movie poster seemingly gave Pullman’s Sentry six fingers. This prompted the user to accuse Marvel Studios of using AI to create the Thunderbolts* movie poster, as AI-generated images have a reputation for creating fingers poorly. “Guess time to tell @Marvel that this type of stuff is unprofessional and unacceptable! Definitely won’t be seeing this movie now,” wrote Peyton: Super Nerd. X user mirrorbell seemingly gave Marvel Studios the benefit of the doubt, wondering if Sentry’s alleged sixth finger was “intentional and part of the plot?”
However, other fans, including Hassan Hamid, noticed that Sentry’s supposed sixth finger resulted from odd placement. “It definitely looks like he does but it’s just weird placement lol,” wrote Unreal Sushi, who included an image identifying Sentry’s five fingers. X user Jordan Van Glish was seemingly bothered by those who accused Marvel Studios of using AI for the Thunderbolts* movie poster, noting how they were reminiscent of conspiracy theorists. “The conspiracy-minded tend to see these gaps [in logical reasoning] as a space to insert their preconceived notions about the world. People are lying to you, (((so and so))) control the narrative, AI is replacing art and inserting extra fingers in a professional movie poster, etc,” they wrote. “Next time you encounter one of these gaps or ‘unanswerable’ questions — like ‘who built the pyramids” or ‘why does this hand appear to have six fingers’ — pause for a minute to think harder about it rather than jump to a conclusion.”
While Marvel Studios may not have used AI to create the Thunderbolts* movie poster, fans might hastily reach conclusions because of Marvel Studios’ history with AI. Marvel Studios made the Secret Invasion intro with AI, a decision widely criticized by fans. Critics noted that Marvel Studios’ use of AI for Secret Invasion was another example of artists losing work to technology that created an inferior, ‘ugly’ product.
Of course, not everyone is wary of AI. Donald Glover defended AI by noting how it could used to help artists and solve problems, though he understood why others were scared of its potential. So, while Marvel Studios is seemingly innocent of using AI for the Thunderbolts* movie poster, perhaps Hollywood using AI for marketing material (and more) is inevitable, and fans and artists must adjust.
Thunderbolts* is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 2, 2025.
Source: Marvel Studios, Peyton: Super Nerd, mirrorbell, Hassan Hamid, UnrealSushi, Jordan Van Glish
