Perhaps sensing that this year’s Comic-Con lacked a breakout, “this once friendly festival now teeters on the edge of chaos” story like last year’s stabbing incident, The Amazing Spider-Man star Rhys Ifans did his best to bring some danger to the proceedings by getting himself arrested over the weekend. Or rather, getting himself briefly detained and then cited with a ticket, an amelioration that speaks to just how boringly safe and well-organized and fun Comic-Con seemed to be this year.
The Wrap at least tried to make the incident sound interesting in its initial report, which said that when Ifans arrived for the Spider-Man panel, he “smelled of alcohol,” and that later he “became irate when a member of his entourage was unable to enter the hall for lack of proper credentialing” after they stepped out for a smoke. Ifans then reportedly shoved aside a female security guard, acted “aggressive and belligerent,” and also, apparently, insulted the United States of America: “According to him, the U.S. sucks and he doesn’t want to come back,” a member of the security staff said, as Ifans clearly hates our freedom to limit smoking to designated areas, and require badges for backstage entry at conventions.
But before this story of Ifans’ charges of misdemeanor battery and felonious America-bashing could escalate into an international incident, Sony issued a statement denying that Ifans was arrested, clarifying that he was simply issued a citation, and saying that Ifans “deeply regrets this incident.” Notably, there was no mention of Ifans’ opinion on America’s suckitude, which just seems like viral marketing for his Spider-Man role anyway.