CinemaCon is an annual trade event held in Las Vegas where film studios showcase upcoming films and trailers. They present directly to theater owners, exhibitors, and members of the press in attendance. Disney was prominently featured this year’s CinemaCon with a trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, scheduled for release this December. The presentation drew an exceptionally enthusiastic reaction from the audience in the room.
Now, some are openly questioning if the Avengers: Doomsday trailer reaction was organic, or if Disney brought in “paid plants.
Industry-Only Audience and Controlled Access
Unlike public fan events like Comic-Con, CinemaCon attendance is primarily industry-based rather than general admission. Access is usually limited to accredited professionals, exhibitors, and invited media guests.
Steve Rogers in the Avengers: Doomsday trailer – Marvel Entertainment, YouTube
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Speaking on his podcast The Town, host Matt Belloni discussed the Avengers: Doomsday CinemaCon panel, referring to “the people that were hooting and screaming” and asking his fellow panelists whether they believed “they were paid plants.” He noted that Disney has denied the allegation, while adding that his sense was that “there were clearly influencers there.”
One of Belloni’s guests, Amanda Dobbins, agreed. “There was a core group of people who were given access to CinemaCon who were not there last year and who were very clearly given access because of their particular interest in Doomsday.”
On Monday night’s Versus YouTube show, Chris Gore from Film Threat echoed Belloni’s impressions. He said that he was seated “next to a group of people that whooped and hollered in an over-the-top way during Disney and Marvel presentations.” Gore underscored the point, adding “It felt fake. It felt super fake.”
Cyclops releasing his optic blast in the Avengers: Doomsday trailer – Marvel Entertainment, YouTube
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The consensus among some attendees and commentators at CinemaCon is that Disney may have used paid influencers to amplify reactions during the Avengers: Doomsday presentation. If that interpretation is accurate, it raises broader questions about promotional practices in high-stakes film marketing.
High Stakes Around Marvel’s Next Release
Avengers: Doomsday is widely reported to carry a historically high production budget. Disney is relying on the film not only to perform financially, but also to help reinvigorate interest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some industry observers have expressed skepticism that the publicly released trailers have generated significant momentum or audience traction so far.
Magneto in the Avengers: Doomsday trailer – Marvel Entertainment, YouTube
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Another of Belloni’s guests on The Town, Sean Fennessey, said he does not really care if some attendees at the Avengers: Doomsday panel were paid to be there. Belloni pushed back, arguing that doing so amounts to gaming the system. “That just means it’s incumbent upon us to say what we think is really happening,” Fennessey replied. “This is a trade show… the studios should be doing everything they can to generate excitement for their movies.”
Conclusion
Whether or not Disney had “paid plants” in the crowd to cheer the Avengers: Doomsday trailer is likely to remain a matter of debate. However, the discussion highlights a broader point about the scale of Disney’s investment in the film and the importance of shaping early perception. After CinemaCon, the film is being widely discussed, even by those who were not in the room.
Ethical, organic, or contrived, the CinemaCon moment signals the high stakes surrounding Avengers: Doomsday—stakes that extend well beyond the screen.
Do you think Disney had paid shills in the audience at CinemaCon? Let us know in the comments!
