Marvel Studios has always been very good at protecting spoilers, but, inevitably, leaks do happen. Even going back as far as The Avengers, our first look at the team assembled came in the form of promo art, while rumours and Reddit leaks continue to reveal key plot points far sooner than anticipated.
In the case of Spider-Man: No Way Home, there were some major leaks before the threequel arrived in theaters, including a couple of stills showing Charlie Cox's return as Matt Murdock and the three Spider-Men standing side-by-side; needless to say, they were significant spoilers for the movie.
We were on hand for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' global press conference earlier this week. During the event, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was asked about how big of a challenge it's been to keep all the MCU's biggest secrets under wraps. "Well, the unfortunate truth is, you don't [Laughs]," he admitted. "Therefore, you need to make sure that the experience itself works regardless of what has been spoiled or not."
"We still do as good a job as we can, and I think a lot of people are getting good at not spreading it," Feige continued. "You know, [if] somebody steals something, don't spread it around because it just potentially lessens the experience. But, in a lot of ways, No Way Home showed that it did not lessen the experience, so we will continue to do the best that we can, but the most important thing is, to deliver a movie or show that delivers regardless of what you know going in."
It was interesting to hear these comments from Feige, especially as footage from the Doctor Strange sequel had leaked online just hours before the press conference took place. While some eager fans are keen to see a movie or TV show's biggest surprises as soon as possible, that inevitably leads to many having the experience Feige refers to spoiled for them against their will.
To counter this, Marvel Studios has disabled comments across its social media channels, and that feels like a smart first step to ensure fans can enjoy this blockbuster to the fullest on the big screen.
"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a one of a kind blockbuster experience and a pure, unadulterated Sam Raimi movie that, while not quite the crazy ride through the Multiverse we expected, delivers a fun, horror-tinged trip," we said in our review of the blockbuster this week.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now playing in theaters!