Marvel Studios implemented additional steps to stop internal MCU leaks as spoilers increased in frequency in recent years. The Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige acknowledged that this specific issue has long been a part of fandom and is basically impossible to avoid. However, Marvel has taken efforts to minimise these leaks coming from within the company because to the ongoing stream of leaks prior to Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Nate Moore, Vice President of Production and Development at Marvel Studios, discussed the test screening procedure with Deadline’s Crew Call podcast and provided details on the steps the red studio is doing to guard against spoilers. Moore revealed that Disney workers often receive an email asking, “Do you want to watch a screening?,” in response to the question of who is permitted to attend a press screening. However, “They’ll never figure it out:”
“Yeah, so in essence, not to get too deep into the weeds, but all Disney employees receive an email blast asking them, “Do you want to see a screening?” They never understand what it is.
Moore mentioned that the workers used to be able to bring buddies. This is all changing now though because “frankly, people leak and that kind of spoils things:”
“Additionally, they could bring friends [previously]. Because, quite frankly, people leak and it kind of ruins it for everyone, I think we tightened up a little. However, when they arrive, we announce that the question-asker is in fact present. Andy is his name, and he’s amazing. You’re among the first viewers of the movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, he says as he walks out in front. And occasionally, people are genuinely shocked to hear, “Oh, that’s the one I wanted to see.” And occasionally, they really don’t understand what Eternals are all about. “
The Marvel Vice President acknowledged that “it’s little” when asked how many staff attend a screening.
“It is also small. The screening is typically between 80 and 100, not 350 or 360. And we do that, I would say, three to four times per movie. And we only use our own films as comps. So, you know, we can kind of see how the balance has shifted between Iron Man and Captain America. We’re not trying to copy Creed, Speed Racer, or other movies that aren’t ours, which helps us gauge how things are going.”
According to Moore, “initial movies suffer” most of the time, but “sequels, you get a small bump”
“I will say that first movies frequently struggle because the majority of viewers are less familiar. They will therefore say, “Oh, Captain Marvel, I’m not sure.” I want to watch Iron Man. That’s fair, I guess. And with sequels, you typically see a slight increase because audiences are already thinking, “It’s Black Panther, I like that anyway,” you understand? That is the only group, then.”
The opposing team? Moore claims that is the Marvel Studios “Parliament,” and that its criticism of MCU movies is “quite unvarnished”:
“Then there is an internal group that we refer to as Parliament for absurd reasons that we won’t go into. But we’re the only ones who create these films and television programmes. And you receive a fairly unfiltered response to your movie that is not driven by anything other than the universal desire for everything to be perfect.”
Two screenings are advantageous because Marvel receives a “cross-section of opinions,” and when “both groups are saying the same thing, oh, that’s a problem,” Moore explained:
“And I believe that the ideas represented by these two groups represent an interesting cross-section. Furthermore, you can tell that there is a problem when both groups are expressing the same opinion. You may occasionally receive more producer notes than notes from regular people, and you must determine which ones are valuable and whether they can coexist. But it’s a fascinating process, and so far it hasn’t misled us.
Audiences have already heard about this kind of policy. This strategy was actually used by Marvel Studios for Avengers: Endgame, where no “plus ones” were permitted and only Marvel and Disney staff were permitted to attend screenings. If Marvel continued to enforce this restriction after the 2019 movie, it’s likely that it has grown even more stringent since then.Audiences have already heard about this kind of policy. This strategy was actually used by Marvel Studios for Avengers: Endgame, where no “plus ones” were permitted and only Marvel and Disney staff were permitted to attend screenings. If Marvel continued to enforce this restriction after the 2019 movie, it’s likely that it has grown even more stringent since then.
Although Kevin Feige acknowledged that spoilers are inevitable, it’s encouraging to hear that Marvel Studios is making every effort to control the flow of information within the organisation. In-house leaks of movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home should hopefully come to an end thanks to these stronger regulations and the fact that workers are going back to the office instead of working from home. Nevertheless, seeing a Marvel Studios official discuss the importance of screenings is interesting. Even if there is a risk involved with releasing a movie early, it is worth it to guarantee that the movie is of high quality overall, regardless of any surprises.
However, it is intriguing to note that despite the screening ban, a number of Marvel Studios’ Phase 4 movies and TV shows have received a range of reactions from viewers. It is unclear if that is a result of the low attendance or a random coincidence. Despite the movie’s impending release, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, the first Phase 5 film from Marvel Studios, has been undergoing reshoots. Could the criticism from Marvel’s Parliament screenings be the blame for this? Fans may never get an answer to this question. What viewers should keep an eye on is if Ant-Man 3 connects with them and whether there are few leaks leading up to its release. If so, it may be said that the studio’s stringent attendance regulation and multiple screenings were successful.
On February 17, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will hit cinemas.
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