Marvel's 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' has an 'AI problem'
Fans have identified a machine-generated image in a new Marvel collector's book, sparking backlash over the use of AI in professional art. The discovery has intensified criticism of Marvel Studios, which has recently faced scrutiny for reducing its visual development staff.
Why it matters
This reflects the growing tension between creative industries and the adoption of generative AI, particularly regarding job displacement and quality control.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has crossed $2 billion worldwide. It opened to $360 million in North America, the biggest domestic opening weekend in history, and roughly $932 million globally, second only to Avengers: Endgame. By every commercial measure, this is the most successful thing Marvel Studios has done in years. And now it has an AI problem, sitting inside a $50 hardcover that fans have already bought."The Art of Spider-Man: Brand New Day" reached shelves on August 18, a 208-page collector's book, and readers working through it have flagged one piece of concept art that looks machine-generated. The image is titled "Big City, Little Spider" and credited to concept artist Scott McInnes. At a glance it is an ordinary New York street, all yellow cabs and walk-up buildings. Zoom in and it falls apart. Two taxis heading in opposite directions fuse into each other mid-frame.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in