MOVIE NEWS – James Gunn reacts to AI-generated Superman trailer with vomit emojis…
James Gunn has reacted angrily to a fake AI-generated Superman trailer being mistaken for the official trailer for his upcoming DCU film. It seems that even news outlets can be fooled by some of the “concept” trailers that fans create on YouTube and other video-sharing sites, with or without the help of AI. That’s precisely what happened when a French news channel released footage of the fake trailer, leading to a lot of mockery and an extreme reaction from Gunn himself.
While fans are desperately waiting for the first official footage of David Corenswet as Clark Kent and his Kryptonian alter ego, some people have taken matters into their own hands. They’ve also produced several “concept” trailers that combine scenes from other films with some almost convincing AI-generated close-ups of the film’s characters to make them even more believable. Of course, there are always telltale signs that these trailers aren’t the real deal… except, apparently, to overzealous journalists.
Gunn is rarely at peace with the overuse of CGI in his films, having always been a fan of practical effects wherever possible, so the idea of any AI coming anywhere near his projects is quite unsettling… and his reaction to the France 2 post pointing out the glitch is proof of that.
Gunn simply replied to the post with three vomit emojis and left it at that.
One follower of Gunn’s X/Twitter account expressed shock at seeing the post, commenting, “hoped you would never see this.” Gunn responded to the post with a simple, “I wish this as well.”
James Gunn’s movie is still a ways off, but AI trailers could already pose a threat
An AI trailer created by Superman fans quickly gained traction on platforms like YouTube, with millions of DC fans initially thinking they were getting a real first look at Gunn’s new DCU debut. Given that the trailer was titled “Superman (2025) – Official Trailer,” it’s perhaps unsurprising that some took it seriously, even for a moment.
This is where AI-generated trailers can go from being a fun bit of fan appreciation to a malicious attempt at misdirection. While it used to be nearly impossible for average internet users to create a piece that mimics the look and feel of a movie trailer without access to thousands of dollars worth of high-end software, that has changed dramatically in the past few years. Today, anyone can access various AI interfaces for a very small subscription fee. With them, you can create almost anything you want with a few clicks of the mouse.
If these trailers were shared online in the same transparent way that fans have been doing with fan videos and re-designed posters for years, then there would be no problem. The problem is that since algorithms run the world (just the internet… for now), search engines are easily fooled by those who are more interested in making money from intellectual property they have nothing to do with. With deepfake technology now allowing anyone to copy the voice or appearance of a famous actor – as demonstrated by the Tom Cruise TikTok videos, for example – the line between funny little tributes made by fans for fans and videos intended to deceive is becoming more and more blurred by the day…
Source: X
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 20, 2024
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