Rob Wiethoff, the voice of John Marston in the Red Dead Redemption series, has recently been streaming his very first playthrough of Red Dead Redemption. During one such livestream on June 14, 2025, he claimed that there was some news he really wanted to share with fans but couldn’t just yet, and that it was absolutely killing him to keep quiet. Within minutes, speculation took over. Some fans were sure it meant Red Dead Redemption 3 was coming. Others guessed it could be a remake of the first game, a Switch 2 port, or even a live-action adaptation.
But then, a few days later, Rob clarified in a YouTube video that he may have unintentionally misled people and that he has no authority to make announcements on behalf of Rockstar Games. As it turns out, the big news he’d been referring may be related to the upcoming National Gaming Expo, where fans will have the opportunity to meet several cast members from the Red Dead Redemption franchise. While the news wasn’t as groundbreaking as fans had hoped, it showed just how easily an actor’s words can ignite a marketing storm, much like Tom Holland’s infamous Marvel slip-ups. However, much like Marvel has played into Holland’s bad habit, Rockstar could turn this situation into a fun reveal method when it does have something to say about Red Dead Redemption.
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The Case Against Red Dead Redemption 3
The gaming community at large has clamored for more Red Dead Redemption, but it might be best to let the series rest, at least for a while.
Tom Holland’s Spoiler History with Marvel
One of Holland’s earliest slip-ups happened in 2016 during a Facebook Live Q&A while promoting Spider-Man: Homecoming. Holland was explaining one of his stunts when he mentioned that his stunt double had been dangling from a helicopter and dunked in a lake, though the scene hadn’t been shown in any trailers yet. Then in 2017, during a press interview, he let it slip that there was a lot of room for Peter Parker to grow in the next two movies, unintentionally revealing that two more Spider-Man films were already in development. At the time, fans had only seen Homecoming, and the long-term MCU plans for Spidey were still a mystery.
In 2018, while promoting Avengers: Infinity War on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Holland shared that he was shocked to find out Spider-Man goes to space when reading the script. This was a major spoiler, as it revealed that Spider-Man would be fighting alongside Iron Man and the Guardians, a detail Marvel had kept under wraps. That same year, Holland crashed an Infinity War fan screening and accidentally spoiled one of the most emotional moments in the movie. He entered the theater thinking the audience had already seen the film and shouted, “I’m alive!” But fans hadn’t seen the movie yet, and his comment gave away the fact that Spider-Man dies.
How Did Marvel Turn Leaks Into a Marketing Strategy?
Instead of hiding Holland from interviews, Marvel began pairing him with Benedict Cumberbatch so that Cumberbatch could supervise him. The banter between the two became its own draw and the interviews went viral. Marvel also played into this image with staged “accidental” reveals. For example, the Infinity War poster reveal was filmed like a surprise reaction video. Holland accidentally opened a package on camera that contained the Infinity War poster, as if he wasn’t supposed to show it. Similarly, for the title reveal of Far From Home, Holland showed hisR iPad on camera and the title card flashed for just a second, making it feel like fans had caught something they weren’t supposed to.
How Rockstar Could Use the Same Strategy
If Rockstar plans to reveal anything Red Dead-related soon, it’d be smart to use RDR‘s voice actor Wiethoff the same way Marvel used Holland: as a lovable security risk that fans enjoy watching. They could set up short videos or streams where he’s allowed to accidentally leak things in a fun way, such as letting Wiethoff do a follow-up stream or video where he accidentally leaves a folder labeled Red Dead 3 open on his desktop. Alternatively, maybe he pretends to say something before getting cut off by a Rockstar staffer, or opens a drawer labeled “2027 release” and goes, “Oops, not that one.”
Rockstar wouldn’t need to make it obvious, as the fan base will undoubtedly dissect every frame, even after Wiethoff said he wouldn’t be revealed Red Dead content himself. If done correctly, this could be much more effective and viral than a simple title card reveal, as it plays into the love fans already have for John Marston’s Actor and builds organic anticipation without spending extra money on RDR‘s trailers and promotion.
Red Dead Redemption 2
10/10
- Released
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October 26, 2018
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Engine
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RAGE