Top 10 Times Actors Spoiled Their Upcoming Projects

“Batman” (1989)

Pretty much every person on the planet knows that Batman’s origin is seeing his parents gunned down in front of him. However, elements of this moment have changed through various iterations. In Tim Burton’s “Batman,” Bruce eventually finds out that Jack Napier, this film’s Joker, was the one responsible for their death. This was a twist on the classic story, and one that Michael Keaton fully revealed prior to the movie’s theatrical release in the US. While discussing Batman’s motivation to fight the Joker on “Late Night with David Letterman,” Keaton spoiled the protagonist’s realization for anyone watching. Just as Letterman predicted, this flub didn’t stop audiences from flocking to theaters!

“WandaVision” (2021)

With Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox, every Marvel fan began speculating on how the X-Men would be brought into the MCU. “WandaVision” gave us our first taste by bringing in Evan Peters, who played the mutant Quicksilver in Fox’s franchise. While this would end up as a misdirect, Quicksilver’s inclusion was spoiled not by Peters, but by Rodrigo Martín. The Spanish voice actor had previously dubbed Peters, and he blew the surprise by tweeting that he’d be voicing Pietro before the shocking reveal. Unfortunately for Martin, he was seemingly fired for the blunder and replaced by Manuel Gimeno.

“The O.C.” (2003-07)

“The O.C.” was THE show to watch in the early-to-mid 2000s. It had fantastic indie music, lovable teen characters, and more than enough drama to keep viewers returning. One of its most beloved stars was Mischa Barton, who played the troubled Marissa Cooper. In the Season 3 finale, Marissa was the victim of a fatal car wreck, dying tragically in Ryan’s arms. It was an exceptionally emotional moment, and one that was spoiled for some by Barton herself. During an interview with “Access Hollywood”, Barton addressed rumors that she was leaving the show by stating that Marissa was indeed going to die. This was shortly before the episode aired, and arguably took some of the impact away from an otherwise heartbreaking scene.

“Game of Thrones” (2011-19)

Acting heavyweight Ian McShane appeared in a single episode of “Game of Thrones,” yet somehow managed to spoil everything about it. He gave multiple interviews, including one on “BBC Breakfast,” where he stated his character’s arc would involve someone everyone believed dead. Speaking to “BBC Radio,” he essentially confirmed that the person in question was The Hound. Naturally, some fans cried foul. In response, McShane told “The Telegraph” that the viewers needed to get a life, infamously saying “it’s only tits and dragons.” He also revealed that the only reason he signed on was because it was just for one episode. Due to the nature of the show, everyone guessed this meant he’d be killed off, which is exactly what happened.

“Creed” (2015)

The “Rocky” series is one of Sylvester Stallone’s crowning achievements. 2015’s “Creed” put the boxer in a more supportive role, instead focusing on Adonis, the son of his late friend Apollo Creed. In 2014, Stallone tweeted out a picture of his desk, captioning it “Where the screenwriting is done.” However, some fans took the time to decipher everything from the pictured page, and found out some pretty important details. Not only did it reveal that the crowd chants Creed’s name after his climactic fight, but it also gave away the fact that Rocky is battling cancer. Maybe Stallone should just tweet out the title page next time.

“Narcos” (2015-17)

If you know a bit about the life and crimes of Pablo Escobar, you probably guessed that Netflix’s “Narcos” would eventually lead to his death. But there was still a bit of mystery as to the timing of it all. Yet Wagner Moura, who played the notorious drug kingpin, openly spoke about his character’s death leading up to the second season. He didn’t feel it was a spoiler, as Escobar’s death could be seen coming by anyone who looked him up. So should he have been so open about his character’s fate given the historical context? That’s for you to decide. But it’s safe to say that only viewers who stayed away from promotional materials – and the history – were shocked when Season 2 ended.

“I Am Legend” (2007)

Will Smith is a huge movie star, which is why it’s so surprising he would elect to reveal the ending to one of his films. But that’s just what he did for “I Am Legend.” According to Reuters, Smith gave away too much about the plot when speaking to press members in Tokyo. Co-producer and co-screenwriter Akiva Goldsman apparently wasn’t too pleased, reportedly shouting “Don’t give away the ending!” However, those present were asked not to reveal the climax, which sees Smith’s character Dr. Neville blow himself up along with the group of Darkseekers. Thankfully, the attendees seemed to oblige. If the news had gotten out, Smith’s mistake may have led to significant box office losses.

“Thor: Ragnarok” (2017)

To get fans excited about the release of “Thor: Ragnarok,” Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo livestreamed the Los Angeles premiere on Instagram. The only problem is he didn’t turn it off before the movie began, and simply stuck his phone in his pocket. Over 2,000 people were reportedly on the livestream, and heard the first 20 minutes of the movie. Hilariously, Ruffalo even felt his cell getting notifications, but didn’t want to be rude by checking them during the movie. It wasn’t until someone from Disney told him to turn his phone off that he realized what was happening. Everything about this moment is amusing, but we hope Marvel didn’t give him too tough a time.

“Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)

Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker’s father is one of cinema’s greatest twists. It’s a good thing “Empire” was released pre-social media, or else David Prowse would’ve found himself in some hot water. Prowse, who played Vader on-screen but didn’t voice him, revealed the twist during a fan event in 1978, two years before the movie was released. Back then, it was reported on by a San Francisco newspaper, The Examiner. Luckily, the news doesn’t seem like it spread to most “Star Wars” fans. We don’t think it would’ve hurt ticket sales, but it may have tarnished the iconic scene. If something like this happened today, there would be no stopping it.

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)

Finally bringing the built-up confrontation with Thanos, “Infinity War” is one of the most important MCU movies. Yet some cast members almost ruined it for fans. Mark Ruffalo told us everybody dies less than a year before the premiere. However, Tom Holland one-upped him with more specificity. Holland, known for accidentally leaking MCU spoilers, surprised an audience before an LA screening with other Marvel heavyweights. Thinking they had already watched the film, he yelled “I’m alive!” after he was introduced, hinting toward Spider-Man’s demise. He then realized his mistake, and felt awful about it. Revealing your beloved character dies to fans moments before the movie is a pretty incredible slip-up.