David TaylorMarvel's Avengers: Doomsday is set for release on 18 December 2026, and months before its premiere, the film has already become the centre of a real-world AI crisis. Hundreds of fake AI-generated trailers and "leak" videos have flooded YouTube and social media, amassing over one billion views before platforms intervened. Two channels alone — Screen Culture and KH Studio — were removed after generating mass-scale deepfake content. This isn't just a Hollywood problem. It's a warning for every UK business about what AI-generated deception can do to their brand, their customers, and their legal exposure.
According to the UK Government's AI Safety Institute, deepfake technology is now accessible to non-specialists at near-zero cost, creating unprecedented risks for businesses that have not yet built defences against AI-powered impersonation and misinformation.
What happened with Avengers: Doomsday — and why it matters for your business
The pattern around Doomsday is textbook for what cybersecurity professionals call a synthetic media attack: bad actors create convincing AI-generated content mimicking an authoritative source (in this case Marvel), distribute it at scale using social platforms' recommendation algorithms, and profit from the confusion — through ad revenue, subscription growth, or in commercial settings, through fraud.
For a film studio, the damage is reputational and commercial. For a business, the stakes can be even higher:
- A deepfake video of your CEO announcing a false product recall could tank your stock price
- AI-generated voice cloning of a senior executive has already been used to authorise fraudulent bank transfers in the UK
- A fake "official announcement" posted under your brand identity can mislead customers and expose you to trading standards violations
- Synthetic reviews and AI-generated testimonials can constitute consumer fraud under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
This is not theoretical. In 2025 and early 2026, UK businesses reported a 300% increase in deepfake-related fraud incidents, according to data from the National Cyber Security Centre.
The legal landscape: what UK law currently covers
The UK's legal framework around deepfakes is evolving rapidly. The Online Safety Act 2023 introduced new obligations for platforms to remove harmful synthetic content, but enforcement against individual creators remains patchy. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 strengthened consumer protection rules around fake endorsements and AI-generated reviews.
For businesses, three areas of legal risk stand out:
Intellectual property infringement. If someone creates a deepfake using your brand's visual identity, logo, or a person's likeness associated with your company, you may have grounds for action under the Trade Marks Act 1994 or passing off. Disney is already taking legal action against channels that used Marvel IP to generate fake Doomsday content.
Data protection. Deepfakes of identifiable individuals — employees, executives, customers — may constitute a breach of the UK GDPR's rules on processing biometric data. Your organisation has obligations if such content is created using data you hold.
Liability for third-party content. If deepfake content referencing your business circulates and you fail to act, there is growing legal argument — not yet fully tested in UK courts — that inaction constitutes a form of negligence if consumer harm results.
Three practical steps UK businesses should take now
Waiting for legislation to catch up is not a strategy. Here is what IT and legal professionals recommend for businesses that want to stay ahead:
1. Conduct a deepfake vulnerability audit. Identify which assets of your business are most susceptible: your CEO's voice and image, your brand assets, your product claims. Tools exist — including from UK-based cybersecurity firms — to monitor for synthetic content referencing your brand across platforms.
2. Establish an internal response protocol. What happens if a deepfake involving your business goes viral? Who is responsible for flagging it, verifying it is synthetic, issuing a public statement, and contacting the platform? Most UK SMEs have no such protocol. A single hour spent drafting one is invaluable.
3. Get specialist legal advice before an incident. Responding to a deepfake attack in real time is the worst moment to be asking your solicitor what your options are. Businesses that have spoken with an IT law or cyber law specialist in advance are significantly better positioned to act quickly — whether through a takedown notice, a cease-and-desist letter, or an emergency injunction.
The Doctor Doom parallel: why AI "control" is the central question
It is tempting to dismiss the Avengers: Doomsday deepfake problem as pure celebrity gossip. But the film's villain — Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. — is, in the comics, a figure who believes that total technological control is the path to security. The irony of a film about unchecked technological power being weaponised by AI fraud is not subtle.
For UK businesses, the question is the same as it is for the Avengers: do you have any control over how AI-generated content involving you is created and distributed? Right now, most businesses do not. Building that control starts with awareness, continues with policy, and is enforced through legal action when necessary.
An IT security specialist or technology lawyer via Expert Zoom can help your business assess its current exposure and take concrete steps before Doomsday — the film, and the scenario it represents — arrives.
Note: This article is for informational purposes. The legal landscape around AI and deepfakes is evolving rapidly. Consult a qualified IT solicitor or cybersecurity adviser for advice specific to your business.
