Spider-Man: No Way Home Actor Discusses The Intense Secrecy That Surrounds Marvel Movies

Spider-Man (Tom Holland) soars into action in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

When it comes to Marvel Studios, there are several things fans know to be true, such as the fact the company plans productions far in advance and that it’s strategic when it comes to making announcements. The studio is also notoriously secretive when it comes to its projects and, as a result, fans are left guessing and speculating about what’s coming up or what’s going down in a certain film. The secrecy surrounding Spider-Man: No Way Home is a prime example, as Marvel has done its best to keep details from leaking to fans. Of course, this method can also affect the stars in different ways, and one No Way Home actor has shared her thoughts on the huge levels of secrecy surrounding Marvel movies.

Being a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one thing, but being part of the Spider-Man franchise is a whole other thing. Given the popularity of the character, Marvel Studios seems to take extra care when it comes to new installments in that film series. Angourie Rice, who plays the role of Betty Brant in the franchise, is more than familiar with how things work, by this point. But as she explained during a recent interview with Collider, she’s still amazed by the massive secrecy and by how far fans will go to figure things out:

The way that like Marvel protects the story is beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s so secret. Shooting Spider-Man was like getting to go to a really cool theme park, but you couldn’t tell anyone because it’s the world’s most secret theme park. That was tricky. The good thing about the second film was that I had my mother and my sister there with me, the whole time, so they were in on it and I could talk to them about anything because they were there. They are super secretive about everything. After being a part of it and seeing how people speculate from photos online and single lines in previous films, the fans of Marvel do some really great guesswork, for sure, so I understand.

It definitely can’t be easy to work on such a heavily guarded film set, and there has to be some fear of accidentally leaking something. However, Angourie Rice seems to manage things pretty well, and it’s nice to hear she had her mother and sister to talk to on the set of Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Marvel Studios has done its best to keep fans in the dark on Spider-Man: No Way Home, even to the point of misdirecting the public with the official title. As a result, many have been left to ponder what lies ahead in Spidey’s third solo movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The cast has also been careful not to leak anything about the film. Jacob Batalon, who plays Betty Brant’s on-and-off boyfriend Ned, has only shared a few quick, behind-the-scenes snapshots, some of which have included Tom Holland. Speaking of the lead actor, Holland, who’s been known to drop a spoiler or two, has even managed to keep his lips sealed, as he’s only hyped up the movie here and there.

That doesn’t mean that everyone’s going to comply with the secret-keeping protocols, though. Alfred Molina, who was reported to be reprising his role as Doctor Octopus, shared a few details about his character’s surprising return, which may not have been ideal for Marvel Studios’ plans.

Still, Spider-Man: No Way Home mostly remains a mystery (as do many other MCU productions), and that’s surely how Marvel wants it. But fans shouldn’t worry too much, because more details will definitely be released when the time is right.

Spider-Man: No Way Home swings into theaters on December 17, 2021.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

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