Enter Secret Invasion.
For those who don’t know, I prefer to binge-watch shows on streaming services. It’s not the “healthiest” way to stay current, but I lack patience. Plus, it’s much easier to stay current if I don’t have to wait for a new episode. This is especially true with Disney+, where I wait for the second-last episode before binge-watching in preparation for the finale. I’ve yet to start Secret Invasion because of this, as it started syndication recently. But it’s a double-edged sword, as the debut has generated plenty of controversy for its opening sequence.
Essentially, generating the opening sequence artificially attracted discussion. And none of it was positive. It doesn’t help that The WGA, Hollywood’s writing union, is striking over, amongst other concerns, AI replacing humans. With all of the frustrations in Hollywood currently, this was a bad call on The MCU’s part. It not only ruins the joke involving K.E.V.I.N in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, it’s making people appreciate Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse more despite the news about its production.
I’ll address the elephant in the room now: I understand why Marvel did this. Secret Invasion is about a group of shapeshifting Skrulls pretending to be humans, and an opening that looks noticeably-off only enhances that. Also, contrary to initial concerns, the artists responsible were, in fact, compensated fairly for it. So yes, I get it. I really do.
That said, I think this was a poor decision. Not only does the title sequence look awful, it sets a terrible precedent for future projects. If another strike occurs, or if the current one gets worse, and artists aren’t readily-available for future shows and movies, what’s to stop Marvel from going to an open-source AI and repeating this? AI isn’t only faster than humans, it’s cheaper. Because you don’t have to pay to make something new.
Another concern is ethics. Stealing from artists without crediting them aside, this is scab-like behaviour. The WGA’s currently striking over poor working conditions, including contending with AI for jobs. Having studios use AI instead of negotiating with people’s the coward’s way out. I’m not against AI altogether, it has untapped potential, but it needs guiding hands to function properly. Essentially, AI should be working with people, not against them. This is the latter.
This situation reeks of greed and dishonesty on Marvel’s part. But ignoring that, however hard it is, it’s a shame that an opening sequence is detracting from the show proper. From what I’ve heard, the premiere episode’s quite good! There’s plenty to mine from this, and it’s supposed to have another great antagonist. I also have heard that it’s a slow-burn, taking inspiration from thrillers like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. While the last Disney+ show to do that, Andor, wasn’t to my liking, I’m open to it. I watch anime, after all!
Another concern is ethics. Stealing from artists without crediting them aside, this is scab-like behaviour. The WGA’s currently striking over poor working conditions, including contending with AI for jobs. Having studios use AI instead of negotiating with people’s the coward’s way out. I’m not against AI altogether, it has untapped potential, but it needs guiding hands to function properly. Essentially, AI should be working with people, not against them. This is the latter.
This situation reeks of greed and dishonesty on Marvel’s part. But ignoring that, however hard it is, it’s a shame that an opening sequence is detracting from the show proper. From what I’ve heard, the premiere episode’s quite good! There’s plenty to mine from this, and it’s supposed to have another great antagonist. I also have heard that it’s a slow-burn, taking inspiration from thrillers like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. While the last Disney+ show to do that, Andor, wasn’t to my liking, I’m open to it. I watch anime, after all!
By having this AI controversy, it becomes a game of “What’s more important?”. Because while the new show is being discussed, it’s not for the right reasons. It’s also giving fuel to detractors of The MCU who boast about how it’s “soulless”. Never mind the double-standards these detractors have when they find an MCU project they like, why give them credibility? Shouldn’t you prove them wrong instead?
There’s more I can say, like how Marvel should know better, but I don’t think I can exert any more effort on this. Because we know this was wrong. And it’ll keep being wrong, despite later clarifications on how the sequence was made. I’d simply be flogging a dead horse if I continued on. Where’s the fun in that?
One final note involves the revisionist history people have about Sony now. People are trying to rehabilitate the studio’s track-record because of Lord and Miller’s take on Spider-Man, and I must protest. Are we that far-removed from Mark Webb’s take on the IP? Or how Sony bungled the third entry in Sam Raimi’s tenure, shoehorning in Venom? Have we forgotten the disasters that were the Venom films and Morbius, something Sony seems to not understand the failures of? Why should I turn a blind eye because an animated Spider-Man venture has more soul than a credits sequence from The MCU?
There’s more I can say, like how Marvel should know better, but I don’t think I can exert any more effort on this. Because we know this was wrong. And it’ll keep being wrong, despite later clarifications on how the sequence was made. I’d simply be flogging a dead horse if I continued on. Where’s the fun in that?
One final note involves the revisionist history people have about Sony now. People are trying to rehabilitate the studio’s track-record because of Lord and Miller’s take on Spider-Man, and I must protest. Are we that far-removed from Mark Webb’s take on the IP? Or how Sony bungled the third entry in Sam Raimi’s tenure, shoehorning in Venom? Have we forgotten the disasters that were the Venom films and Morbius, something Sony seems to not understand the failures of? Why should I turn a blind eye because an animated Spider-Man venture has more soul than a credits sequence from The MCU?
It’s easy to overlook a spotty history with distance, and nostalgia’s quite tempting. But let’s not make Sony the “good guys” because The MCU and Disney did something bad. While Raimi’s Spider-Man movies were (mostly) more interesting than anything The MCU’s ever made, Sony’s overall track-record with Spider-Man, up until recently, is abhorrent. (The same could be said of Fox and the X-Men.) And no amount of goodwill from the team behind The LEGO Movie can fix that, especially given how they’ve treated their animators!
Okay, I’ve gotten that out of my system. Perhaps we can transition to something pleasant?
No comments:
Post a Comment