Last month saw a whole load of Avengers: Endgame toy leaks make their way online, teasing everything from new suits to returning characters, but while the internet was excited to see so much illuminating material from a movie that remains shrouded mystery, co-director Joe Russo has offered a few words of caution.
In an interview with the Collider, the filmmaker addressed the recent wave of leaks that have emerged online, suggesting that the material may have actually helped to throw eager fans off their scent.
“What’s interesting about toy leaks is that 99 percent of the time they’re not accurate. Because toys are, frankly, tailored to either old concepts or completely different concepts than what’s in the movie,” Russo said. “I laugh a lot when those toy leaks show up because I’m like, well, that’s great, because that’s a misdirect [laughs]. Because it has nothing to do with the film.”
Of course, this isn’t to say that toy leaks can’t tell us anything about the Avengers: Infinity War sequel – after all, even old concepts can offer some indication of the eventual film’s content – but perhaps it’s best to approach the tie-in material with a little skepticism. Either way, surely there’s no harm in speculating, and if the Russo Brothers’ feature finds a way to defy the theories and surprise the fans, then all the better.
Joe Russo went on to argue that Marvel Studios’ effects team are the ones who really have the potential to spoil the movie, though so far, the crew has done a good job of keeping material under wraps.
“Frankly, the very essential nature of the storytelling is contained within the brains and computers of all the great individuals working in all the effects houses on the movie,” Russo said. “That is with much more sensitive material, and the testament to that industry is there’s a code of ethics there, and a lot of sensitive information — at least on the four movies we’ve worked on — has passed through all these companies, and nothing has ever leaked.”
Fans certainly can’t be blamed for trying to find Endgame info in any place they can, especially when official material from the film is in such limited supply. That being said, as the fake Hulk scene from the Infinity War trailer attests, even promotional footage can be deliberately misleading. As a result, not only have fans been scrutinizing the new Endgame TV spot for clues, but are also trying to work out what the footage may have hidden from us through careful edits. In short, it’s hard to know what Avengers: Endgame material to trust, but all will be revealed when the film hits theaters on April 26th, 2019.