Disney is expected to premiere two to four ads during the Super Bowl. The big game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will air Sunday, February 7, and like previous Superbowls, it is expected to be one of the most viewed televised events of the year. Fans will be tunning in not only for the game but the various commercials that typically include some television spots for the biggest movies coming in 2021.
Many studios have taken advantage of the high viewer numbers from the Super Bowl to build hype for their upcoming slate of films. The cost to air a spot during the Super Bowl is high, and while studios like Warner Bros. and Sony have sat out the past few years, other studios like Paramount, Universal, and Disney have run multiple ads during past games. Super Bowl LIV had spots for Black Widow, Fast & Furious 9, and No Time To Die, which lost the studios’ money when they were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fearing they don’t want to spend money advertising projects with a date they might move, Disney has opted for a smaller number of spots for this year’s game.
In a report published by Deadline, Disney is expected to air two to four ads during Super Bowl LV. No confirmation has been given on what specific spots will air or if it is being saved for theatrical films or Disney+ series. The report also mentions how various other studios like Apple, Netflix, and HBO Max are skipping this year.
There are a number of films that Disney could use the time to promote, including the upcoming Cruella and Pixar’s Luca, which have yet to have trailers premiere. Raya and the Last Dragon is most likely to have an ad during the event since the film is set for a simultaneous day-and-date release in theaters and on Disney+. Black Widow is the other suspected film since Marvel Studios has been airing Super Bowl spots since the early days of the MCU with Iron Man back in 2008. Disney and Marvel have no intention to release Black Widow on Disney+ but the state of theaters being open by May is still uncertain. Disney already had to delay Black Widow once after an expensive Super Bowl spot; one has to wonder if they will want to spend the money again.
Even without Black Widow, Marvel still has plenty of programming to air during the Super Bowl. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki, both of which had their first looks unveiled to the public during last year’s Big Game Spot, are likely to be featured during the game. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will premiere on March 19, a month away from the game, reminding general audiences what is coming after WandaVision. There is even a chance Disney could use the Super Bowl to air the very first look at Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Marvel Studios premiered the first look of Captain America: The First Avenger to the general public during Super Bowl XLV and Disney used a similar strategy releasing the first trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story at Super Bowl LII. With so many Marvel projects scheduled for 2021, fans will certainly have something Marvel to look forward to.
