Mark Ruffalo 'fired' for teasing new Avengers film title

Mark Ruffalo poses during the photocall of The Avengers on April 21, 2012

Mark Ruffalo sent Avengers fans into meltdown with a single tweet.

The actor, who plays Hulk in the Avengers films, publicly asked TV host Jimmy Fallon to "cut my spoiler clip on the show", hours before his interview was due to air.

The hugely anticipated Avengers 4 is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, who are keeping the new title a closely guarded secret.

And they promptly tweeted the 50-year-old actor: "You're fired."

But fans of the Marvel franchise would have been disappointed if they tuned in on Friday night, expecting a big reveal.

Mark Ruffalo's appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon did feature what appears to be the name of the new film - but it was bleeped out.

In what looks like a rehearsed stunt, host Jimmy Fallon asks the actor: "I don't want to get you in trouble with the studio, or Marvel, but maybe, could you even just [tell us] the title?"

The actor replies: "Alright, I think I can probably tell you that. I think it's already out there."

He then goes on to act out some of what he says are the major plot twists - and it's all bleeped out for the audience.

The titles of Marvel universe films used to be announced years in advance. But fans have been left in the dark this time around, and still don't know the name of the fourth Avengers film, due to be released in April 2019.

In September, the Russo brothers added to the hype by posting a photo on Instagram with the caption "Look hard...". It prompted fans to look for clues for the new name in the photo.

Given the huge anticipation, it's unlikely that Mark Ruffalo didn't know exactly what he was doing. But unlike most of the other cast members, he does have form in unwittingly revealing spoilers.

"I sort of, in the past, maybe have given up things, spoilers," he told Jimmy Fallon. "I basically spoiled the end of Avengers: Infinity War with Don Cheadle, who will no longer do press with me. I've been put under surveillance by Marvel."

He was talking about his July 2017 interview with Good Morning America where Ruffalo tells the interviewer: "Wait 'till you see this next one, half... everybody dies."

When he sees the reaction, the actor replies: "Not everybody. Can we rewind that part? Am I in trouble? Is Barry gonna be mad?"

Watch Ali Plumb's interview with Mark Ruffalo on becoming Marvel's Incredible Hulk

But Mark Ruffalo isn't the only one with a spoiler problem. Spider-Man actor Tom Holland is another actor that Marvel have had to keep an eye on.

In one Instagram video posted earlier this year, Tom managed to tell fans the name of the new Spider-Man film, as well as a major plot point from the recently released Avengers: Infinity War film.

Holland has such a bad reputation that his co-star Benedict Cumberbatch has been roped in to keep him in check during press interviews.

He told Radio 1's Ali Plumb all about it.

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