Avengers director Joe Russo sparks debate with predictions of AI-generated movies

Los Angeles, California - With artificial intelligence (AI) technology on everyone's minds these days, experts predict that it will influence our lives more and more in the next few years. The movie industry may be no exception, and director Joe Russo thinks it'll flip the industry upside down.

Joe Russo believes that artificial intelligence will have a significant impact on the film industry.
Joe Russo believes that artificial intelligence will have a significant impact on the film industry.  © Collage: 123RF/pitinan & Valerie Macon / AFP

The 53-year-old filmmaker, known for his work on several of Marvel's Captain America and Avengers films, believes it may only be about two years before viewers could see the first movies created entirely using AI.

"There's a real possibility now for [AI] technology to become a really important factor in our lives because it's been embraced by Gen Z, and they grew up with it, they understand it, they know how to use it," Russo told Collider.

The existence of such technology, as well as enough people who know how to use them, offers a lot of options, in his opinion.

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"So potentially, what you could do with it is obviously use it to engineer storytelling and change storytelling," Russo said.

The director believes that, in theory, future filmmakers could turn to an AI platform and say, "Hey, I want a movie starring my photoreal avatar and Marilyn Monroe's photoreal avatar. I want it to be a rom-com because I've had a rough day."

Russo's predictions have led many to share their intrigue - and concern - about AI's impact on cinema.

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Joe (r) and Anthony Russo also directed Netflix's The Gray Man, which starred Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans.
Joe (r) and Anthony Russo also directed Netflix's The Gray Man, which starred Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans.  © VALERIE MACON / AFP

In Russo's example, the AI could then produce a story and its accompanying images at lightning speed and could make the user the star on the screen.

"It mimics your voice, and suddenly now you have a rom-com starring you that's 90 minutes long," he said.

Russo's comments rubbed many film buffs the wrong way - particularly due to the unsettling nature of the Monroe-centric example.

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"If you gave me a month I still wouldn’t be able to list over all the angles this is immoral & gross," one fan said of his comment.

However, Russo, who co-directed the blockbuster third and fourth Avenger films with his brother Anthony, seems well aware of the dangers that AI can pose, especially if the power over it is placed in the hands of the wrong people.

"I'm on the board of a few AI companies, I'm gonna speak from my experience of being on the board of those companies is that, there are AI companies that are developing AI to protect you from AI," he said.

Either way, it doesn't look like many movie fans are thrilled by the tech-fueled concept.

Cover photo: Collage: 123RF/pitinan & Valerie Macon / AFP

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