Super Bowl LIII: Recapping Movie Trailers

by The Cowl Editor on February 14, 2019


Film and Television


by Joshua Carone ’22 A&E Staff

PHOTO COURTESY OF EW.COM

The audience for Sunday’s game, between the Patriots and the Rams, had little to cheer for in a night filled with more punts than points. However, the surplus of advertisements showcasing the most anticipated movies of 2019 kept viewers engaged throughout, including a couple of fresh spots from Marvel, and a big night for fans of Jordan Peele. Here’s a recap of some of the prominent trailers from Sunday:

Captain Marvel (March 8): Fans of the Marvel movies received another sneak peek at the newest character to enter Stan Lee’s comic-book universe, Captain Marvel.

The trailer opens with Brie Larson’s superheroine walking alongside another Air Force Pilot, giving off Top Gun vibes while also providing more insight into the history of one of Marvel’s most powerful heroes. The ad switches to a more high-speed pace through a montage of clips from the film alongside the repeated phrase, “higher, faster, further.”

While comic-book enthusiasts are excited for the origin story of Carol Danvers, fans are also intrigued to learn how Captain Marvel’s storyline will play into the Avengers arch.

Avengers: Endgame (April 26): It was only fitting that the biggest movie of the year premiere an ad during the biggest game of the year.

Chills set in during the 30-second ad interspliced with clips of the remaining Avengers, as Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Iron-Man (Robert Downey Jr.), and Captain America (Chris Evans) flew across the screen.

“Where do we go, now that they’re gone?” reads a sign in this spot causing viewers to ask themselves the same question after the realization that there are two months left until the world could witness the end to the highest-grossing franchise of all time.

Toy Story 4 (June 21): Pixar delivered a sucker punch of nostalgia with the first look at yet another conclusion to a beloved franchise with a 30-second ad for Toy Story 4.

Keeping it light with a brief scene in which Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) is bullied by a pair of stuffed carnival prizes, audiences ranging from nine to 99 years old are finally reunited with the toys that shaped so many childhoods.

While the trailer itself was playful, Tom Hanks, the voice of Woody, was recently quoted on BBC’s The Chris Evan’s Morning Show as saying Toy Story 4 was the most emotional film out of the franchise, and that he “couldn’t even get through the last scene.” 

Us (March 22): Jordan Peele was the arguable MVP of 2019’s Super Bowl as he voiced one of the characters in the trailer for Toy Story 4 and was centerstage in the ad for The Twilight Zone remake. However, Peele received the most attention for the ad for his newest nightmare, Us.

The Get Out director’s latest horror film terrified audiences on Christmas Day with the drop of the first trailer that gave viewers a preview of the Wilson family and their battle against the murderous versions of themselves.

Lupita Nyong’o plays the mother in Peele’s sophomore feature film, earning significant screen time in the minute-long Super Bowl ad as horror fans are once again introduced to her character’s family and their dangerous doppelgangers.

The film’s slick tagline “Watch Yourself” is a double-entendre that will echo in audience’s minds as they stray away from mirrors and anticipation grows for the March release of the horror blockbuster.

These upcoming movies and their trailers featured something for all ages to enjoy.