If you thought the ending ofAvengers: Infinity Warwas a surprise, it appears you haven’t seen anything yet. The April sequelAvengers: Endgamewill wrap up the story that began inInfinity War—and in truth will wrap up the story that began in 2008’sIron Man, serving as a “culmination event”—and co-directorJoe Russosays the final conclusion carries with it an intense amount of spoilers.
Infinity Warshocked audiences by ending with (spoiler alert) the villain winning out. The heroes lost, half the universe’s population was turned to dust, and characters like Peter Parker, Scarlet Witch, and Doctor Strange vanished before our eyes. Directors Joe andAnthony Russoreleased a statement ahead of that film’s release asking audiences to keep the surprises to themselves, so everyone who saw the movie in the theater could have the same fresh, unspoiled experience. In a new interview, Joe Russo says a similar statement is probably coming forEndgame, which apparently includes evenbiggerreveals.
Speaking withBox Office Pro(viaThe Playlist), Russo encouraged fans to seeAvengers: Endgameopening weekend to ensure they don’t have the movie spoiled for them:
“At a certain point, I’m sure we’ll write another letter this year that asks everyone to stay off the internet. I think this one has even more spoilers than the last one. This is a culture that wants everything now, and it’s getting worse. The world is connected via social media, and information travels within seconds. If you’ve been following along with this narrative for 10 years, you’re going to want to protect yourself. It’s best to go in clean. I encourage people to go opening weekend because I’m sure everything is going to hit the internet the moment the movie hits the screen.”
The Russos previously admitted to creating footage specifically for theInfinity Wartrailers that would misdirect audiences, like that massive “hero shot” at the end with all the characters running together in Wakanda. It’s highly likely they did the same thing forEndgame, and in this new interview, Russo talked about the value of seeing something unspoiled in the theater for the first time:
“There’s a culture that monetizes secrets around these films—an online culture, a media culture. That’s fair, but it’s also fair for the filmmaker to protect the story. When I was 11 years old, I went to seeThe Empire Strikes Back, having seenStar Warsa bunch of times with my uncle. I was at the theater from 11 until 10 at night watchingEmpireover and over again because I knew nothing about what was going to happen in the film beyond what I’d seen in a trailer in front of a movie once or twice. Information was so much more limited. It was so shocking to me what happened that I was emotional watching it.”
This, Russo explains, is why they feel comfortable presenting doctored or misleading footage in trailers. It’s all in service of preserving the theatrical experience:
“That’s the feeling that my brother and I are trying to replicate for other kids who want to be surprised. It’s why we limit the amount of information in trailers. That’s why we obfuscate it. Audiences are so predictive. Everyone has a PhD in content now, and it’s constant. The smallest clue in a trailer can ruin a movie.”
I am 100% fine with this. Marketing is not a movie. Sometimes marketing is misleadingagainstthe filmmaker’s wishes, like whenFight Clubwas sold as some beat-‘em-up macho fest instead of a satire orCrimson Peakwas sold as a horror movie instead of a Gothic romance. Trailers are meant to put butts in seats, but when it comes toAvengersmovies, butts arealreadygonna be in seats. So why not reveal as little as possible in the necessary trailers? It’s not like people buy trailers on Blu-ray and watch them over and over again. A trailer is disposable. A movie is forever.
Honestly, I wish more filmmakers behind massive blockbusters would do this.
The wait is almost over.Avengers: Endgamehits theaters on April 26th. For more on the film, peruse our coverage below.
