Okay film fanatics, grab your popcorn – YouTube just pulled the plug on some of the wildest trailer chicanery this side of deepfake hell. Two massive channels that basically hijacked your feeds with hyper-slick, totally bogus previews have been permanently booted off the platform. Yep – gone, vanished.

These weren’t your grandma’s shaky fan edits. We’re talking about operations with millions of subscribers and over a billion eyeballs glued to their AI-built clips of blockbuster universes that… don’t actually exist. Want to geek out to a faux crossover of your favorite franchises or a “leaked” look at a sequel that hasn’t been announced? These channels had you covered – until now.

And the kicker? These creations weren’t just silly fan art – they were convincing enough that some folks legit thought they were official. Marvel! Star Wars! Superman! All getting reimagined in ways that would make even the most seasoned trailer junkie scratch their head.

YouTube says it’s done with the catfishing – citing bogus metadata and spammy practices – and has finally yanked the accounts for good. Previously they slapped demonetization on these channels and tried labeling them “fan made,” but when those tags disappeared and the ruse kept going? That was the line in the sand.

So for all you cinephiles who’ve ever wondered why the official teaser still isn’t out – turns out some AI-generated blockbusters were hogging your recommendations. But don’t worry – studios are still cooking up real magic, and your next genuine trailer obsession is just around the corner.