Every Marvel Actor Who Lied About Their Roles

Dafne Keen

In the latest turn of events, Dafne Keen, the leading actress from the Logan series, reappeared as Laura/X-23 in Deadpool & Wolverine; however, prior to that, she completed a press tour for her character Jecki Lon in Star Wars: The Acolyte. As expected, journalists were eager to learn if X-23 would feature in Deadpool 3. In several interviews, Keen deceived the public by denying any involvement.

Ever since the final trailers of the Deadpool & Wolverine movie unveiled her character’s role, Keen has become more forthcoming about her deception. She shared with Entertainment Weekly that “It was a blast keeping it under wraps… I was asked about it in every interview, and it was just hilarious to lie.”

As a gamer, I’d rather say: I’m just saying, I picked up some tricks from another Marvel actor when it comes to dealing with the media. No names, though!

Andrew Garfield

In a twist of events, Andrew Garfield, now known as the “Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Master of Deception,” garnered notoriety (and additional acting acclaim) by gazing straight into the eyes of multiple journalists and fabricating details about his participation in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

To clarify his position, Garfield pointed out that Marvel often requires their actors to engage in a repeated denial of rumors, which he likened to a dance. He further explained that he chose to maintain an element of surprise or exclusivity for the fans by keeping certain information under wraps.

According to Garfield on The View, “The company requires you to participate, but it’s also enjoyable in its own way. You’re organizing a secret party for others, yet they keep asking if the event is actually happening, and you have to say there won’t be any party at all.”

Through Garfield’s deceit, actors like Dafne Keen from the Marvel movies have followed suit, yet this strategy has not deterred fans from adoring him wholeheartedly.

Brie Larson

In June 2016, Brie Larson, the star of Captain Marvel, deceived an MTV UK journalist about her casting as Captain Marvel. However, just a few weeks later, at Comic-Con 2016 in July, Marvel officially unveiled Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel onstage during their Hall H presentation.

The way Brie Larson played it was somewhat over-the-top: she falsely claimed not to recognize Captain Marvel, misguiding the interviewer in a fictitious quest of bafflement – over whether the character was male or identical to Chris Evans’ Captain America. Towards the end of her act, she feigned naivety regarding comic book lore, but did credit the fans for predicting her as the ideal choice for the role.

Go back and watch that interview and see firsthand why Brie Larson has an Oscar under her belt.

Paul Rudd

Actor Paul Rudd, best known for his role in Ant-Man, maintains a charming image of an ordinary, ageless fellow. Yet, behind this endearing facade, Rudd demonstrates a knack for deception, keeping audiences guessing.

In the year 2013, Kevin Feige, who heads Marvel Studios, disclosed that the casting for Ant-Man was being done; then in December of the same year, Paul Rudd was questioned about speculations that HE might be portraying Ant-Man and he stated to a journalist that these were merely rumors. A few days after this, Marvel Studios officially announced that Paul Rudd would play Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Michael Douglas would take on the role of Hank Pym.

Benedict Cumberbatch

As a gaming aficionado, I can’t help but feel like Benedict Cumberbatch was somehow tapping into an alternate reality before officially becoming Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. During a Comic-Con gathering, he casually spilled the beans about landing the role, leaving everyone there none the wiser that he had disclosed anything at all.

At the 2014 Comic-Con Panel for Penguins of Madagascar, both Benedict Cumberbatch and John Malkovich were playfully asked which superhero characters they’d like to portray. In a humorous twist, Malkovich quipped he’d be Superman’s “Lois Lane,” while Cumberbatch jokingly declared himself as “Nurse Normal” – a clever spin-off of the name “Doctor Strange.” It took the crowd a moment to grasp the joke, but Cumberbatch swiftly clarified it was just a funny reference to being Doctor Strange. Little did we know, by the Summer of 2014, Marvel, director Scott Derrickson, and screenwriter Jon Spaihts were seriously considering Cumberbatch for the role, and had already reached out.

At Comic-Con 2014, Benedict Cumberbatch initially believed that scheduling conflicts wouldn’t allow him to take on the role of Doctor Strange. However, Marvel Studios later adjusted their shooting schedule to fit Cumberbatch into the cast for the movie.

Jonathan Majors

When it was announced that Jonathan Majors would play Kang the Conqueror in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”, Marvel enthusiasts quickly started guessing that he might make a sudden appearance as Kang (or one of his multiple forms) in the “Loki” series on Disney+, before his debut in the movie.

In late June of 2021, when asked if he was involved in the Loki series, Majors dismissed the idea by telling Variety, “I have no clue what you’re referring to.” However, just a few weeks later, the Season 1 finale of Loki was released, with Majors’ character Kang variant, He Who Remains, appearing as a significant guest star.

Considering the way Jonathan Majors’ Marvel Cinematic Universe journey concluded, it seems rather inadvisable for him to issue refutations that might not be truthful.

Tatiana Maslany

In summer 2020, Tatiana Maslany, who plays She-Hulk in the show “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” found herself diving headfirst into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) when whispers about her casting as Jennifer Walter/She-Hulk started circulating online. By September 2020, a well-known entertainment news outlet reported that Maslany had secured the role, essentially making it official.

In an October 2020 interview towards the middle of the month, Maslany clarified that her casting as She-Hulk was merely a rumor. She explained, “It turns out this isn’t true and it seems like a press release that’s been exaggerated… unfortunately, it’s not real.”

Back in November 2020, the rumors about my favorite characters were validated once more by the trades, hinting at a casting decision that left me on cloud nine! However, it wasn’t until Marvel Studios formally announced it in December that I could rejoice knowing Tatiana Maslany had been chosen to embody She-Hulk – my hero!

Eventually, Maslany admitted that her statements were false, explaining, “I outright deceived you,” [giggles]. “This is partly due to my confusion about what I’m permitted to disclose!”

Hailee Steinfeld

As a gamer, I found myself in an unexpected situation when I had to sprint through a gauntlet of denials and downplays before my big reveal as Kate Bishop/Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Timing, it seems, was not on my side.

At Comic-Con 2019 in July, Marvel and Disney+ unveiled plans for a streaming series titled “Hawkeye”. By September, they had extended an offer to actress Hailee Steinfeld to portray Kate Bishop in the series. Unfortunately, Steinfeld faced scheduling conflicts with other projects she was already committed to. This predicament led her to mention during an interview in November 2019 that joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Kate Bishop wasn’t a certainty at the time.

Due to delays caused by Steinfeld and Marvel ironing out their plans, the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 occurred, forcing the actress to keep her casting under wraps for quite some time. It wasn’t until December 2020, a full year later, that Marvel Studios officially confirmed her role.