Fabricated “Vader” poster fools social media users

"Star Wars" villain Darth Vader looks foreboding in an image newly spreading on social media, with light saber drawn and the specter of destruction surrounding him. 

"Fall 2024," it says at the top of the image. Below, the logo for Disney+.

It gives the appearance of a poster for a new show or movie called "Vader."

"BREAKING NEWS!!!" a June 18 Facebook post sharing the image said. "Join the hunt next Fall 2024, exclusively on Disney+, as secrets unfold, alliances shatter, and the galaxy is forever changed. May the Force be with you as you witness the rise of darkness and the hunt for Jedi in ‘VADER.’"

This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

We reached out to Disney+ about the post but didn’t immediately hear back. 

Featured Fact-check

Threads posts

stated on October 26, 2024 in a Threads post

Four Florida counties had “zero results” Oct. 26, and “something underhanded might be happening.”

However, this image has been online since at least November, when someone shared it on Instagram, albeit with a caveat: "I’m not too sure this is real." 

We found no evidence that it is. 

A reverse-image search for the supposed poster turned up lots of social media posts, but nothing authoritative such as an announcement from, say, Disney+. 

Such a show doesn’t appear on Disney+’s website, which has a section dedicated to shows and movies in which Darth Vader appears. 

We also found no credible news reports about such an upcoming movie or series, though plenty of rumors that Disney is developing a Darth Vader-focused show. 

For now, however, this poster appears to be inauthentic. 

We rate claims it’s from Disney+ advertising "Vader" False.