We might be getting to the point where major studio blockbusters have to film 100% of their footage on a sound stage because attempts to film such anticipated superhero adventures as The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers on the streets of Pittsburgh and Cleveland have led to a steady stream of set photos, videos and leaks that are spoiling all of the fun.

SuperHeroHype has three photos sent by a source from the Ohio shoot of Joss Whedon’s Avengers film. They appear to show … well, hold on. We’ll discuss it after the break, so as to protect anyone who’d like to avoid photo spoilers. Please leave if you don’t want to see these photos!

We mean it. Leave. Now.

Still here? OK, here are two of the images:





The life-sized ship appears to be an alien vessel. The site says the Avengers crew was making the prop look dirty for shooting. It’s unclear whether it’s a ship that crash lands on our planet, forcing Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk and crew to investigate, or if Whedon is using the ship for space scenes (we do know The Avengers shot scenes at a NASA facility in Sandusky, Ohio that has a tunnel which recreates the effect of zero gravity).

The ship, as Marvel fans might guess, looks Skrull-ish in origin, though it’s hard to tell specifics from the images. By the size of it, the ship only holds one passenger … unless it’s a model which Whedon plans to enhance in post-production. OK, speculation. So these images aren’t entirely spoilery. But they confirm that there are alien elements to Whedon’s Avengers film, which we’ll all be able to see next May.