Jackson was succinct, saying simply that Marvel “shot one down. […] And they followed one to where the guy was. They found it and, yes, they got it.”

A warning to the paparazzi: Marvel is ready.

Naturally, any cast or crew member working on a project for the Marvel Cinematic Universe has long been used to defining secrets and avoiding spoilers. It’s entirely likely that actors will have to sign contracts in which they swear not to reveal plot details or character cameos in order to preserve the franchise’s many surprises. As such, actors have to be very, very careful in interviews about what they reveal and what they keep secret. Actor Don Cheadle, who was also part of the EW interview, joked that Marvel would just hold up pictures of his “Avengers: Endgame” co-stars Mark Ruffalo and Tom Holland with a warning: “Don’t be like those guys.” This is a reference to the tendency of these actors to accidentally let plot and script details slip. Ruffalo’s skids were compiled in online videos, just like Holland.

The combative back and forth between the paparazzi and Marvel’s marketing department is long and fierce. Many are the stories of stolen scripts, secret pages and black market auctions. The urge to spoil these movies is compulsive and intense in some people, and it seems like others are willing to pay big bucks to have a movie spoiled. Jackson even had a script stolen from him back in the days of the first “Avengers” movie.