One of the most fascinating things in the lead-up to Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War was the cast admitting very few of them had seen a full script. The reason, according to directors the Russo Brothers, was to cut down on the chance of spoilers leaking out.
TFW you said something in an interview you shouldn’t have, but got away with it, then didn’t. Photo: Disney
“It takes a lot of work to censor yourself,” Anthony Russo told us. “You have to constantly be analysing what you’re saying on a very detailed level because fans and journalists are so sophisticated, they can intuit quite a bit by what you say. So [keeping the scripts from the actors] was just a way to make everybody’s life a little easier.”
And while it worked out for the most part, it wasn’t 100 per cent successful. Last year on Good Morning America, Mark Ruffalo, AKA Mr Bruce Banner, said something that seemed like a joke at the time. But now, we realise, it wasn’t. Also, he isn’t the only one.
Screencrush went back and dug up this clip from the D23 Expo in 2017. Watch this. Especially Don Cheadle’s reaction.
Uh oh, @DonCheadle, is @MarkRuffalo going to get in trouble with @MarvelStudios now!? #InfinityWar #D23expo pic.twitter.com/WR5C1QCBTb
— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 16, 2017
Now we know that, despite kind of playing it off, Ruffalo was not kidding and “everyone dies” was only a slight exaggeration. But it’s interesting to note that no men in black suits came to take him away immediately following his comment. Neither he nor Cheadle’s characters die, but the list of those who do is still impressive. So while neither actor may have read the whole script (Cheadle actually told us about this on the set), there’s still danger in the game.
Want more danger? This is great.
Last week, Spider-Man actor Tom Holland joined Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and the Russo Brothers in Los Angeles to introduce some screenings of Infinity War. However, it seemed as though maybe Holland didn’t realise they were introducing the film rather than doing a post-credits Q&A, because when he came out to introduce the film, he exclaimed, “I’m alive!” Then, going off his lead, Doctor Strange himself, Benedict Cumberbatch, added, “I’m also alive.”
Um, you guys, these people hadn’t seen the movie yet. Digital Spy found the video.
*Spoiler Alert*
@KevinFeige @Russo_Brothers @TomHolland1996 and Benedict Cumberbatch introducing Infinity War at @ArcLightCinemas Hollywood
Part 2 (the one where Tom spoils the movie) pic.twitter.com/OaW8HCTE91— ✨Claire✨ (@foxdragonnerd) May 1, 2018
“It’s important for us that we protect the story at all costs,” Joe Russo told us. “And we just felt it would be best if people just didn’t know the whole story and be easier for them then to talk about it and say, ‘I wasn’t given the script.’”
Even so, nobody’s perfect. Not even Avengers. Here’s one more bonus supercut of Cumberbatch trying to prevent the spoilers from falling right out of Holland’s mouth on the press tour.
benedict preventing tom from leaking spoilers: a thrilling saga ???????? pic.twitter.com/VyIdKTTeA4
— captain* (@iamgeekingout) April 30, 2018
Avengers: Infinity War is now in theatres.