Which Superhero Movie Trailers Will Run During Super Bowl 50?
By Nick Tylwalk
When you settle in to watch the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos compete for the championship this evening during Super Bowl 50, you’re probably also going to be anticipating a handful of superhero movie trailers. That’s a logical expectation given that even in an era when there are more tools than ever for getting the word out about upcoming movies, advertising during the NFL’s big game provides studios with the grandest possible stage.
You’d be right, too, since some of the biggest upcoming superhero movies should have a presence during the broadcast, though not all of them. DC fans, in particular, are likely to come away disappointed.
So which superhero movie trailers are going to run? Thanks to Fandango, we have a pretty good idea what we’ll be seeing during breaks in the action from Santa Clara. Let’s run them down from definite to no way — and if we end up being wrong, we’ll apologize in advance!
Yes
Deadpool
This can’t count as a surprise, given the way that Fox has been pulling out every possible stop to promote its R-rated superhero romp ahead of its February 12 release. Generally, that would be too close to the Super Bowl for most movie studios to bother with an ad buy, but this is no normal superhero movie, and it hasn’t been sticking to the usual marketing script. The Merc With a Mouth will pop up during the big game, you can bank on that.
Probably
X-Men: Apocalypse
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Fandango says that Fox has purchased two spots, meaning one of them could be filled by its other 2016 superhero movie. Since X-Men: Apocalypse hits theaters in May, this might actually be a little early for another full length trailer, but again, the Super Bowl only comes around once a year. The catch could be if Fox wants to diversify and do something besides all superheroes, in which case the mutants might miss out.
Possibly
Captain America: Civil War
Disney has a tendency to not always do the obvious thing when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, so even though this would seem like a no-brainer opportunity to hit the world with some new Civil War footage, that might not happen. It is being reported that Disney has multiple spots lined up during the pregame show and the football game itself, but it also has a bunch of films to push.
No
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Despite hope running high that we’d get one more full length trailer and it would debut during Super Bowl 50, that’s not happening because Warner Bros. didn’t buy any ad time. What outlets like IGN are saying is that Batman v Superman could feature in another company’s commercial, so don’t be shocked if we still have something to discuss on Monday, even if it’s not a trailer.
Suicide Squad
With Warner Bros. on the proverbial sidelines, no chance for anything here. Besides, this movie just got a full length trailer not that long ago.
Doctor Strange
As awesome as this would be, it’s still too far off and is smack dab in the middle of filming right now.
Next: BSP's Guide to Upcoming Superhero Movies
Don’t forget that whatever superhero movie trailers end up airing are likely to have extended versions online, where they can beyond the 30 or 60 seconds allotted to them on TV. Also, while it doesn’t fit our definition of a superhero movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is definitely a comic book movie and is one that would fit into our “Yes” category as well.
Enjoy the big game and the previews!