'Captain Marvel' Easter Egg Makes the Security Guard Way More Important

The mall cop in Captain Marvel wasn’t exactly a professional. He never even got out of his vehicle after an alien woman “dressed for laser tag” crashed through the roof of a Blockbuster Video. But in real life, Barry Curtis handles security for one of the most secure organizations in the world: Marvel Studios.

Entertainment Weekly published a lengthy round table discussion Wednesday with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and the actors who play the original six avengers, namely Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Jeremy Renner. Nobody’s allowed to talk about Avengers: Endgame spoilers or the future of the MCU, but tucked in between the banter — like when Iron Man and Captain America hug — is a fun little Captain Marvel Easter egg confirming that Curtis played the role of confused security guard.

Mark Ruffalo, who plays Bruce Banner and the Incredible Hulk, is notorious for dropping MCU spoilers in interviews, and when asked about the biggest thing he’s ever spoiled, the obvious answer was that time he accidentally live-streamed the audio from the first 10 minutes of Thor: Ragnarok while at the premiere.

“It sort of turned around on me, because when I came to work on Monday [on the set of Endgame] everyone ran up to me,” Ruffalo said about the huge mistake. “I thought they were coming to scream at me — Barry, he threw his arms around me. ‘That was genius! We got more press than we could have possibly paid for!’”

The footage barely had any significant spoilers, and the ambient noise from the audience made Thor: Ragnarok seem totally enjoyable (which it was). So the slip-up worked in Marvel’s favor. 

Feige took the chance to clarify who Ruffalo was referring to, adding, “Yes, Barry Curtis, our supreme security at Marvel Studios, who now is immortalized as the Blockbuster parking-lot security guard in Captain Marvel.”

During production, Curtis likely handles on-set security, but he must also play a huge role in controlling leaks and spoilers for the studio. So when someone like Ruffalo lets slip a huge spoiler in an interview, we imagine Curtis has to debrief them.

Early in Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers is captured by Skrulls and then escapes to Earth, where she crashes right through the roof of a Blockbuster Video. The mall security guard nearby never exits his vehicle, and when Danvers asks him where to find communications equipment, he refers her to the nearby RadioShack. It’s one of the film’s funnier exchanges.

The unnamed security guard is also the one who contacts the authorities, which in turn leads S.H.I.E.L.D. to investigate, connecting Nick Fury with Carol Danvers, so Curtis’ role in Captain Marvel is an important catalyst in the greater MCU. More than 20 years later, did he die at the hands of Thanos like trillions of others? We may never know.

Here’s the full video of the group interview with Entertainment Weekly.