Warner Bros. Removes ‘Supergirl’ Featurette After AI Art Controversy for Lobo

Warner Bros. and DC Studios have been diligently working to win back fans with James Gunn’s revamped DC Universe, focusing on comic-accurate casting and fan-favorite moments to restore trust after years of inconsistent DCEU releases. However, this week, that carefully cultivated goodwill faced a significant setback due to an unforeseen issue.

‘Supergirl,’ the second live-action film in Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU, had already experienced a challenging theatrical run, finishing with a disappointing $125.8 million domestic total, marking it as the lowest-grossing DC film since 2004’s ‘Catwoman.’ As the movie approaches its digital release and a physical media launch on September 8, Warner Bros. shared a behind-the-scenes featurette intended to rekindle interest in the film’s production.

Unfortunately, the approximately six-minute video, titled “Jason Momoa as Lobo,” ignited immediate backlash after fans spotted director Craig Gillespie presenting Momoa with what seemed to be AI-generated concept art while discussing the design of his character, the intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo. The footage displayed Gillespie scrolling through a series of AI-generated images showcasing various visual interpretations for Momoa’s Lobo, instead of traditional hand-drawn concept art created by human artists.

The backlash escalated quickly, prompting Warner Bros. Discovery to remove the video from its official YouTube channel entirely. As of now, neither Gillespie, Gunn, nor the studio has publicly commented on the footage or the decision to take it down.

Much of the online criticism focused on the fact that Lobo has been a part of DC Comics since 1983, created by Roger Slifer and Keith Giffen. This means the studio had access to over four decades of official comic book artwork and illustrations to draw from. Fans and industry observers noted that opting for generative AI for a character with such a rich visual history seemed unnecessary and avoidable, with one widely shared social media reaction expressing confusion over the decision given the wealth of existing reference material.

This controversy is particularly significant as concept artists and illustrators have been credited with designing Momoa’s on-screen Lobo look, including previously published official concept art attributed to DC cover artist Rudy Ao. This raises questions about how the AI-generated material shown in the deleted featurette influenced the film’s final creative decisions, although the footage appeared to present it as part of the design dialogue between Gillespie and Momoa.

Some reports have also suggested that AI tools may extend beyond this particular featurette, with insiders indicating similar practices could be employed within the writers’ room for Gunn’s upcoming ‘Man of Tomorrow,’ although this claim remains unconfirmed by the studio.

The timing of this incident is particularly unfortunate for DC Studios, as the featurette’s removal occurred just days before the premiere of ‘Lanterns’ on HBO Max, a series that Gunn and Safran have been promoting as a key highlight of their current television lineup. Coupled with ‘Supergirl’s’ lackluster box office performance and this AI-related controversy, the studio is facing increasing public relations challenges as it seeks to rebuild confidence in its broader DCU strategy.

For a franchise built on honoring decades of cherished comic book history, the use of AI-generated imagery to design one of DC’s most visually distinctive characters has left many fans feeling that a significant misstep has occurred, regardless of the actual role the tool played in the film’s final creative choices.

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