Marvel Studios released a newtrailer forBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever, showcasing more of the film’s plot and more of the newest iconic character joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Namor. Also recently, a low-quality trailer forAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumanialeaked online, so it is only a matter of time before Marvel Studio officially releases the official trailer.
The release of anMCUtrailer is often a big deal, as the franchise is the biggest multimedia property in the world. Fans await the release of a Marvel trailer, to get the first glimpse of what is coming to the ever-growing universe either with the introduction of a new character or a radical plot development. Sometimes the anticipation just to see the trailer is as big as the movie, most recently seen with the high demand forSpider-Man: No Way Hometrailers thatthe teaser leaked online. With over 29 films released, and twelve additional ones set for release, there have been a lot of trailers over the past 14 years. Every single one gets fans excited, but these are the best trailers over the MCU that raised the bar of anticipation.
8Thor: Ragnarok- Teaser Trailer
While a successful film series, the Thor films were less well regarded than the Iron Man or Captain America films. Following the disappointingThor: The Dark Worldand the reduced role inAvengers: Age of Ultron, Thor desperately needed a makeover. With director Takia Waititi at the helm,Thor: Ragnarokwould take the franchise in a bold new direction. The first teaser trailer starts off with a big, blasting Led Zepplin’s ‘Immigrant Song’ with powerful images of Thor’s hammer Mjolnir getting destroyed, Asgard burning to the ground and a shift to the science fiction setting as opposed to the more classic fantasy elements of the previous two films. With Thor’s hair being shaved off, audiences knew they were in for something different.
The trailer’s final moment, with the reveal of the Hulk in gladiatorial armor, told comic book fans this would be a loose adaptation of the series Planet Hulk while letting mainstream viewers know this Thor movie would be more significant than the previous two films. The final ‘A friend from work line’ is a strong finish that indicates to the audience this is a different type of Thor movie, and it was a trailer that paid off big as the film far outgrossed both its predecessor.
7Captain America: Civil War- Final Trailer
The final trailer forCaptain America: Civil Warcertainly does a great job selling the audience on the conflict between Captain America and Iron Man. The high presence of Bucky aka the Winter Soldier lets audiences know this is a properCaptain Americasequel, and the added presence of various Avengers showcases this will be a much more massive film in terms of scope and action. The trailer does a great job keeping the focus on the main plot.
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But it is the final moment that everyone remembers, after the title the final button on the trailer when Tony Stark shouts ‘underoos!’, the classic ‘Twhip!’ sound that everybody knows followed by a webbing taking the shield. Everyone knew what that meant before he showed up: Spider-Man had joined the MCU. The costume which resembled the classic Steve Ditko era suit with emoting eyes and the quickest sound of Tom Holland’s voice was the first time the modern cinematic Spider-Man was seen. Even to the smallest child who had no idea about the inner studio politics that separated the various franchise, it was clear Spider-Man meeting the Avengers was a big deal.
6Guardians of the Galaxy- Teaser Trailer
While characters like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America were not as popular as the X-Men, Spider-Man, or Fantastic Four, they still had some level of recognition among fans from their comic books and guest spots in animated series. The Guardians of the Galaxy, however, were a franchise that even a lot of hardcore comic book fans knew little about. As one of the riskiest venues in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the first trailer forGuardians of the Galaxyhad to sell everybody on this concept.
The teaser trailer is brief, but it is incredibly effective. It offers a quick guide to the characters, sells the tone of the movie as a sci-fi comedy, and the use of Blue Swede’s ‘Hooked on a Feeling’ was such a refreshing contrast to the visuals it informed the audiences this would be not just a different type of Marvel movie, but a summer movie unlike anything in recent memory.
The trailer was so popular that ‘Hooked on a Feeling’ saw a massive spike in the music charts andGuardians of the Galaxylater went on to become the highest-grossing movie of summer 2014 beating out established franchises likeThe Amazing Spider-Man 2,X-Men: Days of Future Past, andTransformers: Age of Extinction. The beginning ofGuardians of the Galaxybecoming a household Marvel name began with this teaser.
5Avengers: Endgame- Final Trailer
What makes theAvengers: Endgametrailer so impressive is how little they show. Due to the shocking ending ofAvengers: Infinity War, much ofAvengers: Endgamewas surrounded by secrecy with the trailer showing the bare minimum. Most footage from the trailer is in the movie’s first thirty minutes, and the few select action scenes from the final battle are cleverly sprinkled in one could imagine they would be at any point in the movie.
What truly elevates the trailer, is the use of footage from previous MCU films with the color taken out with the only color highlighted being red, a symbol of the core color Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor all share. It is a nice nostalgic trip down memory lane for the audience to see how far the characters, and themselves the viewers have come. It helped sellAvengers: Endgameas truly a once-in-a-lifetime film event.
4Iron Man -First Trailer
While Iron Man is now considered one of the most iconic popular superheroes in the world, in 2007 when the first trailer hit he was considered a B-list character. General audiences didn’t know anything about him, so Marvel Studios crafted a trailer that informed audiences of everything they needed to know about Tony Stark from a quick breakdown of his background, his character arc, and his personality from Robert Downey Jr.’s performance. The quick montage of scenes, Black Sabbath’s ‘Iron Man’ song in the background, and a final moment showcasing the Iron Man suit in flight were enough to launchIron Manonto the top of many people’s summer movie watchlist and the MCU as audiences know it likely would not be the same without this trailer.
The trailer was a huge hit when it premiered at San Diego Comic-Con, and then when it was released online was another major hit. The trailer was so popular The Onion made a video ‘Iron Man Trailer To Be Made Into Feature Film’ that Marvel Studios even included on theIron Manhome video special features.
3Avengers: Age of Ultron- Teaser Trailer
The demand for theAvengers: Age of Ultrontrailer was so high, it was originally intended to release with an episode ofAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.but was leaked early, that Marvel Studios had to release an official high-quality version ahead of schedule. Part of the reason some viewers might have been disappointed byAvengers: Age of Ultronmight have been just how great the first teaser was, which hinted at a darker more mature sequel with a more sinister Ultron as opposed to the film version which is certainly more a Joss Whedon style creation.
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While the slow cover of a popular song in a teaser trailer is now a cliché, the use of ‘No Strings on Me’ from Pinocchio in the teaser trailer forAvengers: Age of Ultronsent shivers down spines for how well-placed it was. It was haunting, thematically appropriate given Ultron’s artificial intelligence, and was the perfect synergy between Marvel and parent company Disney. For many,Avengers: Age of Ultron’strailer is the movie they wished the finished product was more like.
2Avengers: Infinity War- Teaser Trailer
Avengers: Infinity Warwasreleased during the ten-year anniversary of the MCU. The teaser trailer forAvengers: Infinity Warteased to audiences that the universe was about to be united, showcasing the various heroes under the narration of Nick Fury’s monologue from the firstAvengers, this time recited by the original members. The intention was clear, an even bigger group of remarkable people would come together.
The teaser final tease, showcasing the Guardians of the Galaxy, who at that point had been so far removed from the superhero side of the MCU, let every audience member regardless of their familiarity with the franchise know that this film would unite a universe.
1Black Panther: Wakanda Forever- Teaser Trailer
The new trailer forBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverwas great, but that first teaser that was released at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 was a breathtaking visual experience. Leading up to the release, fans had been speculating how the movie would incorporate the real-life passing of star Chadwick Boseman into the movie.
The trailer immediately puts those difficult emotions front and center with a cover of the Bob Marley song “No Woman, No Cry” by Tems. The song slowly transitions into Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Alright’ by using the linking lyric “It’s going to be alright” together. The buildup in the music between the two songs is an editing marvel. The trailer showcases the massive scale of the film with a giant roster of characters, vast landscapes of Wakanda, new underwater settings, and a powerful monologue by Angela Bassett, if anyone had any doubts aboutBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverthey quickly went away and the trailer became the greatest MCU trailer ever.
