Let’s face it: whenever we hear Marvel Studios spoilers, we can’t help but tune in — whether we like it or not.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is good at cliffhangers and intriguing mid- and post-credit scenes. When they leave us hanging, we’re left wanting for more, which is why most fans are suckers for MCU spoilers. Whenever a new trailer drops or when Marvel releases TV spots, fans are visiting MCU Spoilers Reddit, looking for spoilers on Twitter or browsing through YouTube videos.
Marvel leaks are always accepted. And the best part is the Marvel Studios stars themselves offer the spoilers.
When making social media posts or doing press work to promote new MCU films/series, some actors get too excited and forget that fans haven’t watched it yet. They accidentally spoil the movies, much to the delight of the fans and the dismay of Kevin Feige and other studio heads.
The Marvel cast in particular is infamous for spoilers, particularly Mark Ruffalo and Tom Holland (we have a special section for the Best Tom Holland and Marvel Studios spoilers). Here are some of the iconic times the MCU cast spoiled their own films.
(WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!)
The Many Times MCU Actors Gave Away Marvel Studios Spoilers
Sebastian Stan
Ever since Michelle Pfeiffer made her debut in the Ant-Man and the Wasp, people presumed that she’d appear in the next Avengers film. But just because people assumed that she would, it didn’t mean that her appearance was confirmed. Until Sebastian Stan — the actor behind Bucky Barnes — did it for Marvel.
During an appearance at Ace Comic-Con, the actor talked about the scene they filmed for the fourth Avengers film. He tried his best not to say much, but he ended up giving away some big news. According to him, during filming, he looked around and saw everyone “from Samuel L. Jackson to Michael Douglas to Michelle Pfeiffer.”
Robert Downey Jr.
At the premiere of the first Avengers film, Iron Man Robert Downey Jr. revealed that the cast would be reunited to film a final scene for the movie. The scene, in particular, was the shawarma scene added at the end of Avengers. Downey didn’t reveal what scene it was (we eventually found out at the end of the Avengers) but he did spoil a potential scene that had reporters hounding director Joss Wheedon.
Mark Ruffalo
Sometimes, Marvel actors don’t even have to speak to spoil their films. Consider Mark Ruffalo and his major spoiling incident. During the world premiere of Thor: Ragnarok, Ruffalo tried to make sure their fans experienced the premier with him, even if it was just online. However, it led to unintentional spoilers.
Once he got to his seat at the premiere, the actor forgot that he was still live on Instagram. As a result, he continued to stream the film from inside the theater. While the inside of his pocket wasn’t a spoiler, the audio was. Fans were treated to the first twenty minutes of Thor: Ragnarok. His little mishap got him in the Marvel principal’s office.
This wasn’t the only time Ruffalo spoiled his Marvel movie. During an interview for Avengers: Infinity War with co-star Don Cheadle, he casually mentioned that everyone would die in the end. Cheadle could only give him a disapproving “Dude!” as Ruffalo tried to walk off his casual comment.
While not everyone died in Infinity War, a lot of heroes did perish so his spoiler was not far off.
Samuel L. Jackson
Nick Fury might be a sharp agent but his actor Samuel L. Jackson isn’t as sharp when it comes to dodging spoilers.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he flat out told the reporter that fans will finally learn how Nick Fury lost his eye in Captain Marvel. He added that the audience will also find out that Fury also has a family.
In the same interview, he also hinted at the importance of time travel in defeating Thanos. Speaking about Avengers: Endgame, Jackson said that the Avengers were in a tight spot and would need something as powerful as Thanos to defeat him. He then mentioned the importance of time travel, which gave fans an idea of how the Avengers would win in the next film.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Paltrow, who played a huge role in the beginnings of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, had been absent in a few films that led up to Spider-Man: Homecoming. Since then, she had been open about her return to the MCU. Paltrow loved posting behind-the-scenes photos, but there was one photo posted on her Instagram that confirmed Pepper would be getting an upgrade in Avengers: Endgame.
The actress posted an Instagram story that showed herself wearing a mocap suit, which sparked the theory that Pepper would be wearing a superhero suit too.
She also told the official Avengers: Infinity War magazine that Tony and Pepper would be married and have a kid in the next Avengers film.
What Spoiler Did Tom Holland Spoil?
Out of all the MCU stars, Tom Holland is probably the king of Marvel Studios spoilers. Since his first appearance as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, Holland has been causing a ruckus by blurting out MCU leaks during interviews. He has spoiled endings, plot details, and even the existence of sequels before Marvel officially announces them.
Tom Holland is infamous for his bashful and accidental spoilers. Our MCU Spider-Man has become a meme for spoiling stuff. Here are some of his infamous moments.
Spidey and the Lake
His first known spoiler occurred in 2016 during a live Q and A on Facebook. By this time, he had already appeared as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War. His first solo film, Spider-Man: Homecoming, had yet to premiere.
During the Q and A, a fan asked if Holland’s role in Billy Elliot prepared him for his new role. Initially, Holland said that his dance training prepared him for action choreographies. He could have stopped there, but then he talked about the things he couldn’t do. He continued to say that his stunt double dangled under a helicopter and was dunked in a lake. He then realized what he had done and said “Oh no!”
The scene in question was a chase scene between Vulture and Spider-Man.
The Big Reveal of More Spider-Man Movies
During a press tour for Spider-Man: Homecoming, a fan asked Holland if Spider-Man will have a big storyline in his current movie and “the next ones.” Holland answers the question without thinking that it could be a trap. He said that there was plenty of room for Peter to grow, especially “in the next two movies.”
Revealing the Title of Spider-Man 2
Although most of Holland’s slip-ups are legit, many fans think that Marvel Studios are hijacking Holland’s love for spoilers to release promotional material.
In 2018, Holland posted a short selfie video on his Instagram. He was at the ACE Comic Con Seattle and he apologized for not dropping big revelations during the convention. He did say that he received the script and he was excited to read it. He then raised up his iPad and “accidentally” revealed the title of the script: Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Spoiling the Quantum Leap
Benedict Cumberbatch eventually became Tom Holland’s interview babysitter because he was great at cutting Holland whenever he was about to spoil something. However, there was one interview where even Cumberbatch’s talents couldn’t stop Holland’s spoiler run.
During an interview with Access Hollywood, the stars were asked which of them was more likely to get lines wrong during filming. Both of them answered Cumberbatch with Holland claiming that Cumberbatch’s dialogue was more difficult. He then revealed that Doctor Strange talked much about the Quantum Realm — a concept that had only appeared in Ant-Man.
Needless to say, Cumberbatch started panicking.
Marvel might be protective of their spoilers, but we can always trust their stars to do the spoiling for us. Who’s your favorite MCU star who loves to spoil the films?
