The world of Secret invasion is extremely sketchy. With thousands of Skrulls shapeshifting on Earth, what you think you see can’t be trusted. In a second you see Nick Fury or a respected world leader; The next moment you see her face transform into something (or someone else) completely different.
This is a plot description of the new Marvel Cinematic Universe show on Disney Plus (as well as its comic book counterpart), which follows Nick Fury on his discovery – what else? – a secret invasion of the Skrull population on Earth. The concept of shapeshifting is also evident in the series’ very different approach to the opening credits, which looks like a kind of watercolor depiction of the main actors and themes Secret invasion.
As we see a sort of jittery and menacing progression in which the Skrull green takes over more and more parts of the world, it looks very much as if an AI was inspired with the concept of “Skrull Cubism” – what that actually not far from what it is. As director and executive producer Ali Selim tells Polygon, Method Studios designed the intro sequence using artificial intelligence, which he says ties in with the show’s underlying themes.
“When we reached out to the AI vendors, that was part of it – it just came out of the changing Skrull world identity, you know? Who did that? Who is this?‘ says Selim.
Image: Marvel Studios
Like many people, Selim says he doesn’t “really understand” how artificial intelligence works, but he was intrigued by the way the AI was able to deliver the sense of foreboding he wanted for the series. “We talked to them about ideas, topics and words, and then the computer turned on and did something. And then we could change it a little with words and it would change.”
Method Studios, who previously worked on Marvel shows like Ms. Marvel
The production process was highly collaborative and iterative, with a focused focus on this specific application of an AI toolset. It required an enormous effort from talented art directors, animators (who are proficient in both 2D and 3D), artists and developers who used traditional techniques to design every other aspect of the project. However, it is important to emphasize that while the AI component provided optimal results, AI is only one tool among the range of tool sets used by our artists.
Led by expert art direction, the entire process included the first storyboard phase, illustration, AI generation, 2D/3D animation and culminated in the final compositing phase.
The concept of AI art is certainly a hot topic right now, with concerns ranging from artists’ rights to their styles and how their works are used, to the demands of those striking with the Writers Guild . But others, like Selim or Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa — a streamer who uses AI to create a chatbot version of herself — see AI as a tool that can thrive in the uncanny valley buffer of real life and contrivance.
In the case of secret invasion, Selim says he’s excited about what Method Studios brought to the show: “It felt exploratory and inevitable, exciting and different.”
Update (June 22): This story has been updated with Method’s statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
