Fans have waited a long time forSecret Invasionto arrive on Disney+ and it did so today with a very sketchy and strange opening credits sequence that looked almost like many of the unusual AI images and videos being tossed around the internet right now. That could well be because the introduction was created by Method Studios and was generated using artificial intelligence. While there are many issues being raised right now with theincreased use of AI technologyin many areas of business and entertainment, the opening sequence was purposely done to fit in with the themes of the series, but that hasn’t stopped whole wve of online backlash against the creative decision.
Secret Invasiondirector Ali Selim recently spoke toPolygonabout the opening sequence and how it was created to be something pretending to be something else, just like the Skrulls in the series. He explained:
“When we reached out to the AI vendors, that was part of it — it just came right out of the shape-shifting, Skrull world identity, you know? Who did this? Who is this? We would talk to them about ideas and themes and words, and then the computer would go off and do something. And then we could change it a little bit by using words, and it would change.”
The opening ofSecret Invasionis certainly striking, but once again opens up Pandora’s Box on the use of AI technology to create something that could be created by a human. In this case, director and producer Selim had a specific reason for using AI, but could this lead to more opening sequences being created the same way, taking away the work done by companies who specialise in such areas?Many fans on social media have aired their grievances over the show’s opening as you can see below.
Related:Can AI Create a Movie, and Would it Still Be Art?
Is AI a Real Skrull Invasion of Earth?
Some people believe that everything created with the use of AI is wrong, and others believe that it should be utilized in as many ways as possible. Like many thinks that have been developed over years of technological advances, there has to be a line in the sand where the use of AI should and shouldn’t be used, but that is still to be worked out.
Most recently, AI generators have been used to create a number of “what if” projects, many of which have started with the phrase, “What if Wes Anderson directed…” AI art has used to create versions ofLord of The Rings, Game of Thrones, The Hunger Gamesand more in a very vague reproduction of the style of Wes Anderson. These have drawn a lot of attention and debate over whether it is actually art, or nothing more than computer programs sifting through data and combining it in some kind of Frankenstein experimentation that sometimes works and a lot of the time doesn’t without human intervention.
Whatever people’s feelings about the opening sequence, it seems thatSecret Invasionis making waves with its opening reviews. Despite takingan initial bashing from critics, Rotten Tomatoes currently lists the show as having a 94% approval rating from audiences, which is higher than the most popular MCU shows such asWandaVisionandLoki. There are obviously many more reviews to come, and a long way for the series to go, but for now it is a good start for the Samuel L. Jackson show.
