When “The Walking Dead” star Ross Marquand found out he landed the part of Red Skull in “Avengers: Infinity War,” he couldn’t even talk shop with co-star Danai Gurira, who plays Okoye in the superhero blockbuster.
“No. I didn’t tell anybody. These NDAs on these things are no joke! I literally did not tell anybody until it was out,” Marquand said when asked by Entertainment Weekly if he and Gurira discussed both being in the Marvel universe.
On “The Walking Dead,” Marquand plays Aaron, who previously recruited Rick and his crew to join Alexandria. Now, he’s been one of Maggie’s right-hand men at the Hilltop. Gurira plays the katana-wielding Michonne.
“It is tough to keep those secrets,” Marquand said. “Like with ‘The Walking Dead,’ I think I was silent for seven months before I told anyone about that. With this, it was about six months. And it’s tough because you’re so excited to tell everyone about these amazing worlds that you’re about to become a part of, but you can’t tell anybody.”
When EW asked for clarification that he and Gurira were in the same movie but that he kept it a secret from his co-star, he confirmed. “No. Because I’m scared to God! These NDAs put the fear of God in you.”
In “Infinity War,” Marquand cameos as Red Skull, who first appeared in the MCU in the first “Avengers” movie, played by Hugo Weaving.
“His performance was incredible, and I really wanted to pay homage to what he did,” Marquand said — he added that it took about a week and a half to nail the voice. “I really feel like he was one of the best comic book villains of all time, so I really hope he’s happy with the performance and the film as well.”
Check out the full Q and A over here.