You know who loves toying with fans? Joe Russo. And probably Anthony Russo, the other director of Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War. In this case, it was Joe who commented with a certain amount of glee on the "toy leaks" out there giving fans early intel on Avengers 4 characters:
What's interesting about toy leaks is that 99% 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. I laugh a lot when those toy leaks show up because I’m like, that’s great, that's a misdirect. ‘Cause it has nothing to do with the film.
So ... you're saying they are accurate 1% of the time? Score! Seriously, though, it's nice to hear any leaks out there have merit at all.
But the point is that we're probably not getting solid intel from toy leaks, so maybe don't put too much faith in looks at Pepper Potts' armor and other early designs. (Last year there was a Cap shield action figure toy leak that seemed to pan out.) We may not even be getting solid intel from the new trailers, since they did that "misdirect" thing with the Avengers: Infinity War trailers last year.
Joe Russo also told Collider where the real intel on the film is hiding:
So, you know frankly the very essential nature of the storytelling is contained in the brains and the computers of all the great individuals working in all of the effects houses in the movie. That is much more sensitive material.
Don't go storming the castle of the visual effects locations, though. We're not too far away from seeing this movie the way they want us to see it -- on the big screen on or after April 26.
The Russo Brothers recently confirmed the roughly three-hour runtime is still in play. They said the movie has tested well with audiences -- that's another group to add to the intel list -- but they still aren't 100 percent done with the post-production process.
So far, Marvel Studios has given fans two Avengers: Endgame trailers. The first revealed the title and new slightly earlier release date for Avengers 4, and the second aired recently as a TV spot during the Super Bowl.
Personally, I'd be fine if that was all the new footage we got until the film's release date. And not just because half of it is probably misdirection anyway. We already have Captain Marvel coming as the first MCU film of 2019, and that film is going to lead into Avengers: Endgame, which is the "culmination film of 22 movies," as the Russos previously put it.
I'm a big fan of theories and speculation as a way to fill time, using existing footage from trailers and all the intel in those previous movies (20 to date) in the MCU. For some fans, that may include reading into toy releases as a launchpad for speculation. (I wasn't planning to read into Captain Marvel's Goose the Cat Funko bobble-head, but now that I know there's a 1% chance it's telling me something...) Other fans aren't that into theories and speculation, they just want the movie in front of their eyeballs. Well, soon enough.
Avengers: Endgame opens in theaters April 26, as one of the many major movies ready to steal your attention and money in 2019.
