Fan backlash hits Marvel over Gen AI in 'Spider-Man:Brand New Day'

After the box-office run of Spider- Man: Brand New Day , a coffee‑table art book hit shelves. One piece inside — “Big City, Little Spider,” credited to concept artist Scott McInnes — has sparked an online debate over alleged generative‑AI use after readers spotted odd visual glitches.

Viewers flagged what they see as classic AI “tells” in the image, according to The Direct:

• a strange yellow object near a taxi;
• two cabs that appear to merge into one;
• a distorted fire‑escape staircase on a nearby building.

The scrutiny has been amplified by the art book’s $50 price tag.

Who made the image

McInnes is a veteran illustrator and designer with credits across film and TV that include:

• Morbius
• The Fantastic Four: First Steps
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Mercy
• Bridgerton
• Wonka
• Andor
• Barbie
• Gladiator II
• Masters of the Universe

The bigger AI fight

Separate from Marvel, a recent YouTube featurette for Supergirl drew similar heat after footage appeared to show director Craig Gillespie’s team working with AI‑style concept art of Jason Momoa ’s Lobo. Following the backlash, the featurette was reportedly removed from YouTube.

Those allegations also brush up against earlier public comments from DC Studios co‑CEO James Gunn and DC Comics head Jim Lee at New York Comic Con 2025, where they said DC would not use AI for storytelling.

Meanwhile, the Holland‑led Spider‑Man film from director Destin Daniel Cretton has reportedly cleared $2 billion worldwide on an estimated $225 million budget.

The disputed image is “Big City, Little Spider,” credited to Scott McInnes in the $50 art book.

As of now, there’s no official confirmation that AI was used in the McInnes piece.