Marvel
Studios has two big film releases that are sure to heat up the global box office with Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31 and Avengers: Doomsday on December 18. But neither film launched a new trailer to get fans geared up about the films. Earlier this year, Marvel already launched four different teasers for the latest Avengers sequel, while fans have yet to see a new official frame from Spider-Man (let’s ignore the so-called leaks). So why has Marvel Studios' 16-year Super Bowl streak ended this year? We look into the factors that played into the decision to skip it.
Marvel Studios’ history at Super Bowl
Since 2008, with
Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr, Marvel Studios has launched their big trailers at the Super Bowl. In fact, 2009 was the only year that Marvel did not release a new trailer because there was no film to market. From
Iron Man 2 in 2010 to
Thunderbolts* in 2025, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has maintained its presence at the biggest US football platform in the world. So why was this year a no-go?
Cost could be a factor
With every year, the price tag for the 30-second spot goes up and up. This year, it was reported to be between $8 million and $10 million. Last year, the price was $2 million less. The studio decided against spending so much on a new
Avengers: Doomsday trailer right after releasing four teasers over a month on Captain America, Thor, the X-Men, and the Wakandans.
Timing is everything
Additionally, it’s a very long time until December 2026, and the studio has time to build up anticipation, especially with the other Disney releases sprinkled through the year from
The Mandalorian and Grogu to
Toy Story 5, all of whom will draw in big family audiences. Marvel’s competitor
Dune: Part 3 has also not revealed a first-look trailer, so both films are keep the hype up online in different ways. The third Dune film can take an ad spot out during this year’s Oscar where star Timothee Chalamet is nominated.While this strategy makes sense for
Avengers: Doomsday, it is odd that there has been no trailer for
Spider-Man: Brand New Day apart from the leak at the end of 2025. The superhero is a co-production with Sony Pictures, so the marketing plan is aiming to be a bit different.
CinemaCon or Comic Con?
After the Super Bowl, there are other opportunities for the trailers to make a big splash. CinemaCon is an annual event held in Las Vegas where all the big studios present their offerings to theatres. On the opposite end is Comic Con in San Diego, where the fans are present for the first look. Finally, there’s Disney’s own industry event D23, which invites media and fans to present their upcoming lineups.
Either way, both
Spider-Man: Brand New Day and
Avengers: Doomsday are some of the year’s most anticipated titles that are going to have massive openings simply because it has been a while since we last saw these beloved characters. And right now, Marvel Studios is keeping things secretive for a reason. After all, absence does make the heart grow fonder.
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