‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Art Book AI Backlash Gets a Response From the People Who Made It

Marvel Studios has built a genuine tradition around its behind-the-scenes “Art of the Movie” book series, giving fans an oversized look at the concept work behind each blockbuster long before cameras ever start rolling. These releases have typically been treated as celebrations of the artists whose work rarely gets this kind of spotlight, offering a rare glimpse into the human craftsmanship that shapes a film’s visual identity.

That tradition hit a snag this week with the release of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day – The Art of the Movie,” which arrived on shelves just weeks after the film’s record-breaking theatrical run. Fans quickly zeroed in on one specific piece, a New York City street scene titled “Big City, Little Spider” and credited to concept artist Scott McInnes, flagging what looked like warped taxis, distorted buildings, and strangely contorted fire escapes.

The publisher of the concept art book has now come forward to explain in detail which process they used for the specific artwork, citing use of the cloning tool and photobashing, while also stating that the company maintains an anti-AI policy. The response, shared as a reply within the ongoing Reddit discussion, framed the visible warping as the result of conventional editing techniques rather than generative AI.

The controversy first gained traction after a Reddit user known as TheArtbookCollector flagged the image, pointing to strange warping on some of the buildings and yellow taxis in the piece’s center. That user later posted a more detailed follow-up on X, explaining that after speaking with multiple artists, the image appeared to have telltale AI indicators beyond typical photobashing, while stressing that the artist responsible wasn’t a current or former member of the film’s visual development team.

That distinction matters given the timing of the backlash. The controversy arrives just months after Marvel’s visual development team, made up of artists, illustrators, and designers who help shape a film’s look before production begins, was reportedly reduced through layoffs, a detail that’s fueled additional frustration among fans already sensitive to the topic.

The response pushed back directly on assumptions about how the image was made. It explained that assets used in these books come from studios and are often supplied by freelance artists working under tight timelines, with tools like Photoshop’s auto-fill occasionally leaving behind artifacts that can resemble AI generation when they’re actually the product of more mundane editing shortcuts like watermark removal or content-aware fill.

The statement also addressed the underlying incentive question directly, noting that neither Disney nor Marvel would knowingly greenlight AI-assisted artwork given contractual requirements that submitted work be original, and that any decision to cut corners would fall on the individual freelancer rather than reflect a studio-wide mandate.

Marvel’s “Art of the Movie” controversy also lands amid a broader wave of scrutiny around generative AI in blockbuster filmmaking. A recent behind-the-scenes featurette for Warner Bros.’ “Supergirl” faced similar backlash after director Craig Gillespie was shown presenting what looked like an AI-generated mock-up to star Jason Momoa, prompting the studio to quietly remove the video from its official YouTube channel.

Whether this explanation satisfies fans who felt the book fell short of the human-craftsmanship standard Marvel’s art book series has built its reputation on remains to be seen. For now, the specific artwork in question appears to be an isolated case tied to a single freelance contributor, rather than a sign of AI creeping more broadly into how these behind-the-scenes collections get made.

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