The MCU has long struggled with leaks and rumors spoiling certain reveals and cameos. Despite Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield being kept out of publicity leading up to release, it was still common knowledge they were in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Sometimes, however, it seems like Marvel Studios can’t help itself in trailers, with fans wishing a few twists were kept under wraps.
In particular, Spider-Man’s debut in Captain America: Civil War, Hulk’s appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, and the Red Hulk’s role in Captain America: Brave New World. All three are subject to a lengthy Reddit thread, where fans are arguing these films would’ve been better if nobody knew what was coming on opening weekend.
Spidey comes with the caveat of Sony’s deal with Disney and Marvel Studios for the webslinger to even appear in the MCU. Him being part of the third Captain America movie was always going to make the rounds as everyone pondered when he’d show up.
Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk returning in Ragnarok doesn’t seem quite so necessary in retrospect. The gladiator scene where he arrives is a huge spectacle and while it no doubt helped drive interest, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, and Cate Blanchett could have carried the PR until the first public showings.
Where viewers are really frustrated is in Red Hulk, Harrison Ford’s personal variation of the rage monster who appears in Captain America 4’s third act. Since he’s a late film reveal, his inclusion in trailers and press materials changed the viewing experience for the worst according to some frustrated Redditors.
“Showing [Red Hulk] so prominently in the trailer was a mistake, and didn’t really help move the needle for the box office performance. Maybe if they kept it as a surprise, like the movie treated the character, it would’ve led to better reception,” says one Reddit user.
“The entire Captain America movie was about Sam solving a mystery we had the answers to because they were in all the trailers and on all the posters. It's a different scenario,” another adds.
They have a point. Harrison Ford still has good screentime as the human form of President Thaddeus Ross, giving him plenty of reason to be out on the publicity trail otherwise. Of course, then we’d have missed out on Ford’s Hulk impression at San Diego Comic-Con, but that seems like a small price to pay for being blindsided at the cinema.
The trailers even gave away the context when Red Hulk appears, signposting the exact scene. “The Red Hulk reveal was a big mistake—mainly that they showed his location in the trailer. Showing him turn while at the podium and have that be the big finale was completely misguided,” another Redditor states.
A missed opportunity, but maybe it’ll provide some lessons for Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and all the other upcoming Marvel shows and movies. Captain America: Brave New World is in theaters now, have a look through our list of Captain America: Brave New World Easter Eggs for all the little references you probably didn’t notice.
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