Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy explain that they published the first image of Deadpool and Wolverine to attack the paparazzi

Remember the day when you could go see a movie you were excited about and everything that happened in that movie was a total surprise? This is no longer the case.

Marvel movies are especially notorious for being spoiled, as the internet is too big an animal for anyone to tame, and once a photo or piece of information gets out, you just can’t ring that bell.

But some actors and directors say “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” when it comes to spoilers. At least that’s what it is Deadpool and Wolverine star Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy Done. Initially they wanted to keep the star Hugh Jackmann’s comic-accurate costume remained hidden for much longer and released the surprise on their own terms, but with the meddling paparazzi in the mix, their cover was bound to be blown, so they took matters into their own hands.

In the commentary track on Deadpool and Wolverine home release (via CinemaBlend), Reynolds and Levy take a minute to talk about filming at the Pitstone Quarry in England and the challenges it presented, including paparazzi hiding on a ridge wanting to make a quick buck with a behind-the-scenes photo of scenes. Not wanting anyone else to ruin things for one of the most anticipated Marvel films in recent years, the pair got together and made a decision. Reynolds explained:

“In the interest of explaining how some of the sausage is made from a marketing and public relations perspective, this is the first time we’ve seen a paparazzo on the ridge taking pictures of us where no one knew Hugh [Jackman] he would have been in costume. So, we immediately took our photo so as not to reward these horrible spoilers and that’s when we posted it on Instagram.”

They did it on their own terms, which is admirable. Levy went on to add regarding the photo:

“That hill to the left was full of paparazzi and as soon as we saw them we said, ‘No, if the world had a first look, it would have been from us.’ And sometimes, that’s what it takes. You have to be ready to change the plan.

That photo took the internet by storm and got fans excited for the movie. Of course, some of the film’s secrets were guessed at, revealed, or guessed at along the way, but there were others that were fantastic surprises! And even the things we had intuitions about turned out to be much more interesting than we could have imagined. Deadpool and Wolverine it was a great time at the movies, and you’ll be able to enjoy it again when it releases on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 22nd. It is now available digitally.