Following the lackluster response to Captain America 4, the MCU is now preparing for its next release in the form of Thunderbolts*. Marketing is now in full-swing for the upcoming team-up movie, with a new trailer recently dropping online. However, the movie has seemingly opted for a strange marketing strategy.
In the latest trailer, the marketing has opted to highlight one aspect of the movie that is commonly seen in trailers for A24 movies. However, a film from the multi-billion dollar MCU choosing the same strategy seems like a desperate move for the franchise. Here is what fans are saying about the latest trailer for Thunderbolts* and why I cannot defend the MCU anymore.
The new Thunderbolts* trailer opts for a strange marketing strategy
Thunderbolts* is the upcoming thirty-sixth installment in the MCU and the final entry in its fifth phase. The film will bring back Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan alongside other outcast superhero to form the titular team as they face a new threat looming over New York City.
A new trailer for the film was recently dropped online, ahead of its release in a couple of months. It shared some new footage, highlighting the talented crew Marvel has assembled for the ensemble movie, which also stars David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman.
While the main cast gets a shoutout in the trailer, the spotlight is also shined on the crew, including Beef director Jake Schreier, The Green Knight cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo, Hereditary production designer Grace Yun, and Everything Everywhere All at Once composers Son Lux, among others.
As a result, the film’s latest marketing snippet is eerily reminiscent of the strategy opted for by A24 for their low-to-mid-budget auteur movies, which have recently seen a meteoric rise in Hollywood. Therefore, I find it hard to defend the MCU for opting for such marketing tactics to save its next release from being a disaster.
Thunderbolts* marketing has MCU fans convinced the movie will flop
MCU fans quickly took to social media platforms and reacted to the latest trailer for the upcoming movie. However, most fans weren’t happy with the direction the marketing is taking with the new movie, and here is what they had to say about it on X.
super embarrassing attempt at relevance + this crew would actually push me even further away from the film than I already am
— Overall Figure (@overallfigurex) March 7, 2025
Disney and Marvel really going like “if you think this sucks, than you think A24 sucks”
— CRiM_ (@giftziro) March 7, 2025
That’s not how a good movie is made
— Paul Tim (@paul_timothyk) March 7, 2025
This will flop, we’re over the marvel movies
— Tuckahoe Road (@jedireturns) March 7, 2025
They’re desperate
— alex 👽 (@alexkokz) March 7, 2025
As the fan comments suggest, most agreed that the movie’s latest marketing turn was mostly disappointing and reeked of desperation.
I find the attempt to emulate the A24 style of marketing for a billion-dollar franchise movie like Thunderbolts* extremely unnecessary. I feel the new trailer implies that the upcoming movie is an indie film when it is a part of the biggest franchise of all time. Hence, the marketing gimmick could backfire by alienating the core fanbase, and only time will tell if it pays off.
Thunderbolts* is slated for release on May 2, 2025.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
