This review contains some spoilers for “Thunderbolts*” and “Maul: Shadow Lord” that have since been spoiled on social media by Marvel and Star Wars.

I love movies, shows, music and video games. I find it so enjoyable to get hyped about a new movie or game and finally get my hands on it. I’ll either love it or hate it, but it’s the experience that you’ll really remember. The opening weekend for a blockbuster or the first week a game is released can be one of the most amazing moments of your life, as you experience a story for the first time, something that can never be taken away from you.

However, it seems like we’re slowly drifting away from that, at least within the mainstream. It seems that immediately after a new hit show or movie comes out, we get spoilers from the company that put out said show or movie. I’ve also seen video games be advertised less ceremoniously, so I must speak out.

Exhibit A: Thunderbolts*

I saw “Thunderbolts*” in theaters on opening weekend when it came out in 2025. The film surprised me, being the best Marvel film I had seen in a while. The end of the movie presented a plot twist that the Thunderbolts would be renamed The New Avengers. This was a twist received with applause in the theater.

However, after not even a week in theaters, Marvel decided to spoil their plot twist. Their advertising on social media now advertises the movie as titled “*The New Avengers”. This absolutely spoils the end of the movie for those who didn’t watch the movie on opening weekend.

Exhibit B: Maul: Shadow Lord

“Maul: Shadow Lord” just finished out its season on May 4, with its highest-rated episodes being the two-episode finale. These high ratings came out of not only the storytelling, but also out of nostalgia as we see a legacy character return.

Darth Vader appears at the end of Episode 9 and throughout Episode 10, being an absolutely ruthless opponent. His sudden appearance is meant to be surprising and intimidating. However, what truly irks me is that he was spoiled to be in the series the day after these two episodes dropped on Disney+. This certainly ruined the viewing experience for many of those who weren’t able to watch the episodes on the day that the episodes came out.

Exhibit C: Star Fox

Nintendo is known for the hype they create for their games with their grandiose presentations. However, this seems to be slowly dwindling. Many complain when there has not been a Nintendo Direct every three months, but my concerns lie in the fact that we have little to no idea what Nintendo holds in the future.

Currently, we are only aware of Nintendo games coming out through July, but the advertising for these games has been very awkward. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book has had its information shared in several lengthy trailers, which seems to be their new normal, as the rest of their upcoming games are following this advertising model.

Star Fox was recently announced to be coming out in June. This came out of the blue, with no prior advertising. There has not been a Star Fox game in nine years, and yet there seems to be no excitement built around this release. It’s unclear why Nintendo has shifted its advertising strategy, and it feels bizarre.

Closing Remarks

Hype and spoiler-free marketing have been largely absent in my experience nowadays, and I miss it. The expectation from companies that we either watch their product the day it releases or we are forced to consume spoilers exploits society’s FOMO, and it feels gross.

Additionally, companies’ expectations that we will just consume whatever they push out, even if they don’t work to sell it to us. I find this is reflective of the disconnect between corporations and the public. Overall, I don’t think we should simply bend to the will of these companies, but instead make them conform so that they are not exploiting the consumer.