Revealed! Shocking methods practiced by Marvel to prevent major leaks
Over the past decade, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has cemented itself as the biggest with many successful franchises. But with a great title like that comes great responsibility. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly common for Marvel projects to fall prey to leaks of plot details and other information. To tackle this, it has set up extensive measures to avoid leaks—especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Marvel has a reputation for being the most secretive studio in Hollywood.
- So much so that it has become a cliche for MCU stars to make references to a "Marvel sniper" that prevents them from giving away any spoilers.
- However, keeping secrets from getting out has gotten increasingly difficult ever since the work-from-home culture took over, giving more people access to sensitive information.
A recent report by The Hollywood Reporter revealed that lax work-from-home standards have led to an increase in breaches over the past year. Fortunately, Avengers: Endgame witnessed a successful rollout and remained unscathed by plot leaks. But this was before the pandemic. However, post-pandemic films like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: No Way Home suffered due to major leaks.
Since then, Marvel has boosted its security team (yes, it's a real thing!), which was evident by the end credits of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which featured more names than pre-pandemic films. They apparently follow tip-offs and plug leaks as and when they emerge online and also stay alert during premieres and events to ensure no footage gets pirated by attendees.
Interestingly, Marvel even has a room in its Burbank headquarters that is reportedly called the Black Widow Room, where sensitive subjects are discussed. This room doesn't have any windows or internet connectivity to ensure complete privacy. The outside cleaning staffers, too, don't have access to it! Strict guidelines were extended to work-from-home employees, too, who undergo training courses to know how to report leaks.
A source told THR that VFX artists also had to sign agreements to ensure there is no "shoulder surfing" where family or friends have access to their monitors at home. Recently, some VFX artists for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever have returned to their official workspaces. This suggests that Marvel is entering a less leak-prone zone, and it seems to be working well so far!
