Warner Bros. Allegedly Pulls Supergirl Video After AI Backlash, “Was It Worth It?”
Although hopes were high that Supergirl would live up to the hype of its DCU predecessor Superman, the movie was, unfortunately, a disappointment at the box office—and now, things have gone from bad to worse for Warner Bros. While there have been a range of complaints about Supergirl, some of which made the rounds before the movie had even hit theaters, certain complaints consistently rose to the top. There were, of course, those who simply didn’t want a woman-led movie, but outside of that (optimistically) small percentage of viewers, major grievances included changes to the source material, specifically plot changes and the significant toning down of the comic’s vibrant color scheme, and tonal inconsistencies, such as with the now infamous needle drop moment.
Some of these issues were more pressing than others. For example, some viewers were understandably upset that the story leaned so heavily on a child sex trafficking subplot in a movie that was meant to be uplifting to women and young girls, although there were others who found that meaningful and relevant. There were also several aspects of the movie that audiences generally liked, one of which was Jason Momoa’s Lobo. Sadly, it is that very character that has now led to yet another controversy for the movie, as Warner Bros. reportedly shared and then swiftly removed a video that seemed to show the Supergirl creative team using generative AI for concept art of the character.
Warner Bros. Is Facing Swift Backlash for Apparent AI Use
According to The Direct, DC Studios and Warner Bros. had shared a behind-the-scenes Supergirl featurette on YouTube, part of which showed concept art for Lobo. However, the comments were quick to call out the fact that it looked like the concept art was AI generated. While neither DC Studios nor Warner Bros. has directly commented on the allegations, the video was quietly—or, because of the backlash, perhaps not so quietly—removed. Taking down the video hasn’t resolved the issue, though, as fans have now taken to social media to express anger and frustration over this apparent AI use.
One X post about the video’s removal is full of comments to that effect. The post itself says, “Warner Bros. removed a ‘Supergirl’ behind the scenes video after concept art of Lobo went viral,” and therefore does not directly reference the alleged AI use. The same is not true of the comments. One commenter wrote, “Because they got caught using AI to create concept art. They’ll hide everything at all costs,” and another said, “Kinda crazy that now they’re hiding it after getting caught. Makes you wonder how else they used AI in the movie, given this was just one glimpse that they accidentally included.”
A seemingly more frustrated comment reads, “I don’t get why they went the lazy route instead of just drawing… why? Because it’s cheaper? Because it’s faster? Just use the money to hire an artist like a professional. This isn’t professional.” And, in terms of frustration, there are also several comments that include expletives and other signs of apparent anger at the possibility that Supergirl used AI. For now, actual AI use doesn’t seem to be confirmed, but it’s clear that many fans believe it to be true, and the overwhelming reaction has been outrage.
