The MCU special Werewolf by Night made its triumphant debut on Disney+ earlier this month as fans praised its unique tone and style from the other projects in the franchise. However, days after its release, it now became a subject of controversy as they've been accused of plagiarizing one of its posters from an artwork that was created a few years ago.
Estonia-based graphic artist Midiankai took to Twitter and called out Marvel as he claimed that they copied one of their Werewolf by Night posters from a cover art that he designed for the Dutch hardcore band Born from Pain back in 2016.
When he spoke with The Direct, the artist pointed out how the poster is nearly identical to the artwork that he made, particularly on the core designs such as the wolf's snout, teeth, and chin. He also believed that the designer most likely traced his design in vector graphic programs and used tools to change certain elements.
Regarding how the designer may have encountered his artwork, Midiankai believed that they might have come across it on social media since he interacts with a lot of comic book artists.
"It's very hard to find art since I'm a lesser-known artist outside of the niches I work in, but I interact with a lot of comic book artists and I have this art In my Twitter feed and on my Instagram page," he said. "My wild guess is that this designer/artist saw my interaction with other comic book artists and saw this art, or was following me."
Midiankai suggested that "credit and royalties" are the best option for Disney on how they are going to address the issue since the poster is "already out in the world."
As of the time of this writing, neither Disney nor Marvel have not made any comments or statements regarding this issue.
Also Read: Werewolf by Night Screenwriter Weighs in on Why You Can’t Write a Marvel Project at Starbucks
Werewolf by Night is available to stream on Disney+.
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