At the tail end of last year, AI-generated images started flooding social media. It became near-impossible to distinguish between fakes and the real deal, but tech companies have since cracked down on people using the likenesses of actors and major IPs on their platforms.
Despite that, there are still heaps of clever fakes doing the rounds. Leakers using AI to enhance legitimate leaks and keep them off the radar of major studios—that will remove them via copyright takedowns—has only further muddied the waters.
The past 24 hours have seen another round of Avengers: Doomsday leaks hit platforms like X and Instagram, seemingly revealing more of Wolverine's battle with Spider-Man, Loki and Mobius in the TVA, and Magneto being grabbed by a mutant-hunting Sentinel.
Now, we have a handful of leaked (AI-enhanced) shots of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom wielding a sword and shield. We've done some digging, and these are the real deal, albeit not necessarily representative of what we'll see in the finished film due to an AI overlay.
While Victor Von Doom is certainly powerful enough not to need a weapon, we'd bet that he'll wield these during Avengers: Doomsday's final battle. Both the sword and shield look like ceremonial items from Latveria, and fit the aesthetic we've seen from the villain thus far.
With so much of Avengers: Doomsday's plot seemingly online, there are now lots of Avengers: Secret Wars rumours circling. Those don't come from particularly reliable sources, meaning there's nothing worth sharing. At least not yet. Still, we'd suggest being careful as you may end up spoiled.
"I think Doomsday, more than any [film] so far, just because I’ve now realised our tendency to be telling the story of the world while hiding behind the fact that, 'No, we’re just telling superhero movies that you can enjoy!'" Downey previously said. "But you’re only as good as your bad guy, tying Doomsday to Infinity War specifically."
"And again, the one thing everybody could rally around [in Infinity War] is, 'You’re going to have to contend with Brolin.' There’s something going on in Doomsday, and forward that is literally the only antidote to, 'How do you not have these films be let down after an Infinity War and an Endgame?'" the Oscar-winner continued. "And boy, have we labored long and hard to bring that down."
Check out this latest round of Avengers: Doomsday set photos in the X posts below.
In Avengers: Doomsday, beloved heroes from three distinct universes will be set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered.
Avengers: Doomsday stars Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Robert Downey Jr. Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Mabel Cadena, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman, India Rose Hemsworth, and Wesley Holloway all make their Avengers franchise debuts.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join them, as do X-Men franchise stars Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, with Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum.
The Russo Brothers direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. The movie is produced by Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, and Jonathan Schwartz, with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18.