What began as a packed, high-energy screening of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in Cartagena, Colombia, turned into an unforgettable — and deeply unpleasant — experience when a powerful stench swept through the auditorium, sending fans scrambling for the exits.

Witnesses say the theater was full of anticipation as the lights dimmed and the opening scenes rolled. Then, midway through the film’s early action sequence, a noxious odor began to spread from the middle rows. At first, some viewers tried to ignore it, assuming it would quickly dissipate. Instead, the smell intensified, prompting murmurs, groans, and nervous laughter.

Within minutes, the atmosphere shifted from excitement to chaos. People covered their noses and mouths with jackets and popcorn buckets as they stood up en masse. Several audience members hurried up the aisles, some visibly gagging. One attendee, who had come dressed head-to-toe in a Spider-Man costume, was seen sprinting out of the theater, mask in hand, drawing ironic cheers and jokes about the superhero “escaping the gas.”

Cinema staff briefly paused the film as the exodus continued. Ushers opened emergency doors to ventilate the room, but the lingering odor made it difficult for many to consider returning. Outside, clusters of fans gathered in the lobby and on the sidewalk, swapping incredulous accounts of what they had just endured.

Some joked that the mystery farter was the “real villain” of the night, outdoing any on-screen nemesis. Others were less amused, complaining that their long-awaited outing had been ruined by a single person’s lack of consideration. A few parents with young children decided to leave immediately, unwilling to go back inside even after staff said the air had cleared.

After a short delay, the cinema resumed the screening for those willing to continue. Only a fraction of the original crowd returned to their seats. Those who stayed reported that the rest of the film played without incident, though the story on screen struggled to compete with the bizarre episode they had just witnessed.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been drawing strong reactions from audiences globally, but for the Cartagena crowd, the night will be remembered less for its web-slinging heroics and more for a real-life disruption that quite literally stank up the show.