Secret Invasion"s AI Opening Credits & Backlash Explained

:0:1

Warning! This article contains minor spoilers for Secret Invasion episode 1.Secret Invasion"s AI opening credits have caused serious backlash, yet this technique secretly fits the show"s overall themes in a very clever way. The opening credits of Secret Invasion have been made by Method Studios, a company responsible for other opening credit sequences for various popular TV shows. This extends to other MCU Disney+ shows, with Method Studios being responsible for crafting the opening sequences for Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and Loki.
However, one stark difference to the opening credits for Secret Invasion has caused some controversy online. The opening sequence for Secret Invasion was actually crafted using AI technology, which has naturally caused some indifference due to the increasing worries that AI creations could eventually discredit real artists across all mediums. That being said, the use of AI in Secret Invasion has a specific function and serves the show"s tone, theme, and stylistic choices strongly, with the credits almost acting as another Secret Invasion Easter egg.
Secret Invasion"s AI Choice Is Getting A Lot Of Hate

Despite Selim"s reasoning for using AI technology to create the opening credits for Secret Invasion, the decision is proving to be controversial. Unlike many criticisms of the MCU and wider, popular franchises, the criticisms of using AI are somewhat warranted. There is no denying the dangers that AI technology presents in regard to discrediting artists who have spent years perfecting their craft, no matter the medium they are involved in. This is a sentiment shared by many, as exhibited by the hate directed toward Secret Invasion"s AI opening credits.
This hatred ranges from disappointment that Marvel Studios used AI in the first place to criticisms that Disney as a company has the facilities to pay actual artists to create a similar opening sequence. Naturally, the hot-button topic of AI was always going to bring criticism to Marvel Studios for using it in a series as wide-reaching as Secret Invasion. Despite this controversy though, the reasoning Selim gives and the link between the AI opening sequence and Secret Invasion"s MCU story and themes actually proves the decision to be for the better in this sole, isolated incident.
Why Secret Invasion"s Opening Credits Are AI

Firstly, it is worth exploring exactly why Secret Invasion"s opening credits were created using AI technology. In an interview with Polygon, the director of all six Secret Invasion episodes - Ali Selim - commented on the reasoning behind the show"s AI opening credits. Selim stated: “When we reached out to the AI vendors, that was part of it — it just came right out of the shape-shifting, Skrull world identity, you know? "Who did this? Who is this?"” Selim went on to give his thoughts on AI, and how it can be used correctly despite the growing worries over the technology: “It felt explorative and inevitable, and exciting, and different.”
These comments from Selim explain why the opening credits of Secret Invasion were crafted using AI. As Selim puts it, the uncanny nature of AI creations draws an uneasy response from viewers, linking to the similar feeling of a Skrull infiltration of Earth. The human brain naturally separates AI creations from real artistry, eliciting the question of "Who did this?" as Selim points out. This perfectly links to the show"s themes, as evident by the show"s first episode perfectly brought to life by Secret Invasion"s MCU cast.
Why Secret Invasion"s AI Opening Credits Are Secretly Very Clever

As Secret Invasion"s core premise centers on a covert, Skrull infiltration of Earth, the AI opening credits fit smartly. The entire tone of the show has been crafted to form an uneasy feeling. Audiences are naturally on edge throughout Secret Invasion"s entire run time, due to the possibility that anyone, anywhere could have replaced someone you trust, care about, or an important political figure. This feeling of unease is then captured perfectly by Secret Invasion"s opening credits, for a variety of reasons.
Firstly, the nature of AI technology means that most creations have a strange, ethereal design to them. Oftentimes, AI creations have some tangible or even intangible elements that allow people to realize they are not human designs. The Secret Invasion credits also elicit this feeling, with the strangeness linking to the unease crafted by the show"s central premise. Despite this, it is also important to note that this is in no way a means of pushing AI in storytelling beyond this point. Artists and creators should always take precedence no matter what, yet AI has proven in Secret Invasion’s case to be a tool in very specific situations.
On another level, however, the controversial reason for the AI credits actually serves as the reason why they work so well. The idea of AI technology being something that could cause difficulty with real artists fits the tone of Secret Invasion perfectly, with the implication that something viewers can usually tell is crafted by people is being replaced with something unfamiliar. This links to the real-world controversy of AI, but also the political intrigue and controversy of a secret Skrull infiltration. Just because the decision to use AI technology for Secret Invasion is inherently controversial, does not mean the artistic decision in service of a story should not have happened.
New episodes of Secret Invasion release every Wednesday on Disney+.
Key Release Dates