There are many outrageous ways Marvel prevents their leaks from spreading. Like the Studio hires more security personnel and other security measures at their offices.
They have a dedicated room called Black Widow Room, which doesn’t have any windows or internet access. This way, they ensure confidentiality for anything discussed or shown inside to remain within the room’s confines.
But nobody has ever imagined what Jon Favreau (the director of 2008 Iron Man) did to protect the leaks of the first-ever Marvel flick. He used Oscar-winner and The Karate Kid star Hilary Swank’s fame to help protect Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Iron Man.
Jon Favreau Safeguards Iron Man with Karate Kid Star’s Fame
There’s a piece of scoop detailed in the book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios that popped out during the filming of Iron Man. This rumor hinted at a possible cameo of Oscar-winner Hilary Swank, which adds another intriguing element to the unfolding narrative.
It came after Jon Favreau’s MySpace post where he thanked Caesar’s Palace for allowing them to shoot a casino scene and providing “Swank accommodations.” He wrote (via SuperHeroHype):
“I would also like to thank Caesars for their hospitality, generosity, and Swank accommodations.”
The capital letter S in “Swank” led to theories about her showing up in the film. And also about whether it was intentional, and if that’s the case, then who’d she play?
Spider-Man Producer’s Vague Response Fueled Jon Favreau’s Speculation Further
Spider-Man producer Avi Arad ran after this speculation, responding to the theory with curiosity when asked by MTV Movies. He reportedly said (via Slash Film), “How did you know about that?” before eventually confirming that Hilary Swank had no cameo in the film.
Now, it’s not clear whether the producer was lying or he actually wanted to know how fans got to know about her presence in the Marvel film. And even the book also made it pretty clear that Arad didn’t have many details at Marvel Studios. So, this sheds light, indicating that he had no idea if Swank’s cameo rumor during the filming of Iron Man was true or not.
But it’s crystal clear that Jon Favreau might have intentionally created confusion by footnoting Swank to divert attention from other true leaks. And that’s why Favreau might have accidentally capitalized “Swank,” which led fans to speculate about her casting in the movie.
Although it’s not 100% sure whether Arad could have played along with this or supported Favreau’s strategy to downplay leaks. No matter if it’s true or not, it is definitely an intriguing episode detailed by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards in their book.
