The latest teaser for “Thunderbolts” is fully embracing what Florence Pugh recently described as an “A24-feeling” Marvel movie.
This is an unusually conceived teaser for Marvel, with techno music and title cards touting how many of the film’s creatives previously worked on A24 films. No wonder hip film social Letterboxd got first dibs from Disney/Marvel to release this “exclusive look.”
In the teaser, the Marvel Studios logo gets an A24-style makeover. Shots are intercut with Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in their Marvel costumes along with their A24 acting credits (“Midsommar,” “A Different Man” and “You Hurt My Feelings”).
Not just that, the teaser features stylized cards touting A24 connections such as “the editor of ‘Minari'” (Harry Yoon), “the writers and director of ‘Beef'” (Jake Schreier) “The Green Knight” cinematographer (Andrew Droz Palermo), “Hereditary”, and “Everything Everywhere All At Once” composers (Son Lux).
I’m into the idea of touting more below the line credits in trailers, but next thing you know Marvel will be touting that the ‘Thunderbolts’ caterer worked on “I Saw the TV Glow.”
Is it overkill? Desperation? Sure, but don’t blame Marvel for not trying. They know their cards have run out, and they’ve become the total opposite of cool, especially after a slew of underperforming films. They’ve decided to rebrand for this movie.
This comes just a day after Pugh — coincidentally?— described “Thunderbolts” as a “badass indie,” and “A24-feeling assassin movie,” (via Empire Magazine). This was all planned. Marvel has decided that the best way for “Thunderbolts” not to bomb is to get some much needed street cred.
As for A24’s reaction, they clearly weren’t in on the marketing as they saucily responded to the teaser on X with a meme of Alexia Demie’s Maddy from “Euphoria” asking, “Wait, is this f—ing play about us?”
