Marvel Star Didn’t Know They Were Making an Avengers Movie Until They Were on Set: “I Almost Passed Out”

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Similar to the enigmatic Stonekeeper, Marvel Studios is known for its discretion when it comes to the precious gems of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the movie ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ from 2018, the ruthless Mad Titan Thanos (played by Josh Brolin) embarks on a quest for the Soul Stone, leading him to Vormir. To achieve his destiny – collecting all six Infinity Stones and completing the Infinity Gauntlet – he sacrifices his daughter Gamora (Zoe Saldaña). Overseeing these events is the spectral presence of the Red Skull (Ross Marquand), a villain once believed vanquished by the Space Stone – the Tesseract – in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ from 2011.

In the film, it’s not until halfway through that we discover who is guarding the Soul Stone, and the surprise return of the Red Skull after a seven-year hiatus in Infinity War, was kept so under wraps that even director Anthony Russo wasn’t made aware of it.

The actor from ‘The Walking Dead’, known for his impressions, shared during Awesome Con 2025 that he wasn’t aware of the movie project he’d be working on. They simply mentioned it was a voice-matching job, possibly involving a character Hugo Weaving previously portrayed, but they didn’t specify the character’s name.

In 2017, Weaving’s voice was used as a reference for Marquand, which he identified as Weaving’s own. In that same year, Weaving stated that he had no desire to reprise the role of the Red Skull by wearing its makeup again.

Marquand reminisced about his experience, saying, “I didn’t realize it until I arrived at the location, but they made me shave and apply those motion capture dots. The sight of around 150 people waiting for me left me puzzled – this wasn’t an ordinary voiceover gig, evidently. It was then that a makeup artist whispered in my ear, ‘Do you know what you’re working on? This is the upcoming Avengers film.’ At that moment, I felt like I might faint.

Since Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame were filmed one after another, and the large cast necessitated filming around each actor’s schedule, Marquand filmed his scenes independently from the pairs of Brolin and Saldaña, Scarlett Johansson (as Black Widow), and Jeremy Renner (as Hawkeye).

On the penultimate day of shooting for both films, Marquand remarked, “It was absolutely chaotic because it was almost over.” Both productions were being filmed simultaneously, one after the other, with a significant portion of Hollywood cast in them. As a result, they would call you whenever it was your turn, film you, and then let you go.

Brolin and Saldaña filmed their scenes about six months prior, while Johansson and Renner finished filming three months earlier. Marquand mentioned that he worked with two wonderful stand-ins who provided him with the visual reference and lines to respond to, making it a unique experience for him.

Brolin and Saldaña completed their scenes six months ago, whereas Johansson and Renner wrapped up filming three months earlier. Marquand shared that he collaborated with two fantastic stand-ins who supplied him with the visual cues and lines to react to, making it an intriguing way of working, he added.

In two additional Marvel Studios projects, Marquand utilized his voice-mimicking ability. Firstly, he mimicked James Spader’s voice as Infinity Ultron in the Disney+ animated series “What If…?” Secondly, he took over for Cedric Smith as Professor Charles Xavier in the reboot of “X-Men: The Animated Series,” titled “X-Men ’97.” Marquand also lent his voice to Doctor Doom and the ancient mutant Apocalypse within this series. The show is set to resume for its second season in 2026.

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2025-06-09 05:10