Avengers 4 title is an Infinity War spoiler, so don't expect to hear it anytime soon

The third and fourth installments in the franchise were originally meant to be shot back-to-back as Part 1 and Part 2 of Infinity War

For a studio that always plans so laboriously ahead, it's quite curious that Avengers 4's title still remains a total mystery.

Particularly since it used to bear the name Avengers: Infinity War - Part 2, with both the third and fourth films in the franchise originally set to be shot back-to-back.

It now appears as though Marvel is distancing itself away from the idea that these films are companion pieces; whether anything has changed internally, though, is a complete unknown.

CinemaBlend probed Marvel honcho Kevin Feige as to whether Avengers 4's title is being kept under wraps because it constitutes a spoiler for the preceding Avengers: Infinity War. His answer? A straightforward, "Yeah, for sure."

This could all be idle speculation, but the studio's strange tight-lipped attitude towards the film, versus their relative openness about their plans for Black Panther and Captain Marvel, does seem a little revealing in itself.

As does another response from Feige, when asked whether Thanos would appear in Avengers 4: "They're two very different movies. That's all I'll say." Curiouser and curioser.

Avengers: Infinity War hits UK cinemas 27 April 2018, with Avengers 4 planned for a 2019 release.