Marvel Seeks Subpoena Forcing Instagram to Unmask Alleged ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Leaker

Marvel alleges an Instagram user illegally posted an image from the unreleased “Captain America: Brave New World” movie — and it has gone to court to try to make Instagram disclose the identity of the account’s operator.

Marvel filed a subpoena request May 7 in U.S. District Court California Northern District in San Jose, asking the court to order Instagram to identify the person or people behind @canwegetsometoast. Marvel alleged that the account “published a copyrighted image from an upcoming Marvel Studios motion picture, ‘Captain America: Brave New World,’ without authorization.” The Disney-owned studio is seeking the subpoena pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Reps for Instagram, which is owned by Meta, did not respond to a request for comment.

In a supporting statement for the subpoena request filed with the court, Matthew Slatoff, VP of global security and content protection at Marvel Studios, said that on April 30 a senior paralegal at the Walt Disney Co. notified Instagram that @canwegetsometoast had shared a copyrighted image from “Brave New World” in an Instagram Story.

The anonymous user or users behind the @canwegetsometoast Instagram last year had correctly revealed that the fourth “Captain America” movie would be retitled “Captain America: Brave New World” one month before the change was announced, according to a report by piracy-news site TorrentFreak, which previously reported on Marvel’s Instagram subpoena request.

Meanwhile, there was recently a different kind of leak for “Brave New World” — after a McDonald’s toy line for the film revealed a key spoiler 10 months before the movie’s scheduled debut.

“Captain America: Brave New World” is slated to premiere on Feb. 14, 2025, after Disney moved the film from its previous May 3, 2024, release date. Anthony Mackie reprises the role of Samuel Wilson/Captain America, alongside Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross.

“Captain America: Brave New World” is directed by Julius Onah (“The Cloverfield Paradox,” “Luce”) and co-written by Malcolm Spellman, creator of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” The cast includes Ford in his MCU debut as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, taking over for the late William Hurt. Ross is now the president of the U.S. in “Brave New World.” Liv Tyler and Tim Blake Nelson also star, reprising their roles of Betty Ross and Samuel Sterns from “The Incredible Hulk.” Supporting cast includes Shira Haas and and “Top Gun: Maverick” actor Danny Ramirez.