By Craig Tello
Beyond the pigskin showdown itself, Super Bowl Sunday brings with it copious amounts of chip dipping, thoroughly glazed buffalo wings and, of course, unique commercials that supply fodder for Monday morning's water cooler buzz. Among the flock of super spots airing this weekend? A brand new trailer for Marvel Studios' upcoming "
Iron Man" movie, in theaters May 2.
Immediately after the never-before-seen preview repulsor blasts its way onto millions of television screens Sunday night, it rockets onto Marvel.com so you can watch it again and again! Not only that, you'll want to view it in
our newly launched hi-res, widescreen player (regular resolution version also available, of course). You'll also be able to catch the trailer on
Ironmanmovie.com and Apple Trailers.
But before the House of Ideas opens its gates to reveal its (proton) canonized hero in the latest clip, let's relive five of Marvel's most memorable pre-release movie teaser vids. Then, just try to resist the
Galactus-sized gravitational pull toward your DVD collection to watch these fantastic flicks all over again.
SPIDER-MAN
With great power comes great responsibility…and with a great preview comes great anticipation. For months, word had circulated about Marvel's most prolific protagonist finally emerging onto the silver screen. Still, nothing could've prepared fans for the fast-paced images that were packed into the initial "
Spider-Man" movie trailer—swinging across the Manhattan cityscape through the eyes of the webslinger, Mary Jane's dramatic plummet high above the city streets and more.
Simply stated, this preview left web-heads salivating for the sensational one's cinematic debut. Plus, when the clip commenced with a classic and cute Aunt May/Peter heart-to-heart, even the most cynical fanboy in a
Sinister Six t-shirt became an instant believer.
FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER
Drawing a cosmic powered cavalcade of Marvelites and non-fanboys alike to theaters, the trailer for the "
Fantastic Four" sequel implored an intrigued audience to simply "Rise." For the first time, the vast cosmos of the Marvel Universe was brought to film via the more familiar, human (except for the Thing) faces of Marvel's first family. More importantly, this marked the film debut of the original emo Marvel legend, the
Silver Surfer.
The unforgettably sleek images of the Sentinel of the Spaceways soaring about Earth stunned Marvel fans far and wide. When Johnny
Storm burst into flames and took off in hot pursuit, the chase instantly became one of the most visually alluring sequences in comic filmdom. Look for a close-up into Norrin Radd's retina as he zeroed in on his chaser, followed by the Surfer gripping the
Human Torch's fiery throat for a surfboard-led ascent to the heavens. With a handful of these quick-moving scenes, the Silver Surfer suddenly became an on-screen manifestation that stayed true to the character's complexity—not to mention an instant box office hit.
X-MEN: THE LAST STAND
The third installment of the "
X-Men" film franchise was one of Marvel's most highly anticipated sequels—especially after the trailer was seen worldwide. Featuring a glimpse of glistening mutant metalhead
Colossus, Kelsey Grammer as the blue-hued
Beast and Jean Grey's faithful-to-the-comics resurrection as Dark
Phoenix, this preview instantly forged the 24th letter of the alphabet in everyone's minds. And the accompanying musical score? The perfect build-up to the impending monumental collision between the X-Men and the
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
SPIDER-MAN 3
Prior to the release of
Spider-Man 3, the world was anxious to see how Spidey's embrace of the black symbiote costume would translate to the big screen. Containing scenes of Toby McGuire engulfed in a black grue, writhing to remove the malignant ooze from his skin, the film's trailer certainly did not fail expectations.
Not only did this preview capture Peter Parker's internal battle as anticipated by Marvel loyalists, it also hyped viewers for the long-awaited confrontation between Spider-Man and Venom. The final split-second glance of the web-slinger's most vile villain paired with the depiction of the
Sandman in granule-form told the tale of Spidey' most perilous silver screen sequel. Ultimately, this trailer sent symbiotic shockwaves across the globe, it had everyone in and outside of comicdom thinking black.
IRON MAN (Teaser Trailer #1)
Of course, this collection of some of Marvel's greatest movie trailers wouldn't be complete without the most recent; the very first preview for "Iron Man." The only thing sharper than Robert Downey Jr.'s wit-laden commentary was the crisp first look at the armor-clad hero himself. Check out Iron Man's arsenal display succinct with the chord riffs of Black Sabbath's song of the same name, then the retro robotic voice registering, "I am Iron Man." If you think that was enough to prepare you for the May 2 release of the film, just wait till the brand-new trailer jet streams onto Marvel.com this Sunday.
