The Marvel Cinematic Universe was born in 2008 with the release of Iron Man, and since then there have been 22 additional films (with many more on the horizon), not to mention several TV shows and other assorted tie-ins. As such, fans have seen plenty of trailers for these big screen superhero adventures. That makes narrowing down the five best a challenge, but one that we’re more than prepared for. So without further ado, here are the five greatest Marvel movie trailers of all time.
5. Captain Marvel
Marvel trailers carry a particularly heavy load when they’re introducing audiences to a character they might not be familiar with. Take Captain Marvel, which had the additional wrinkle of being set in the glorious 1990s, with a Blockbuster Video and other bygone 90s touchstones prominently featured. There’s also a shot of our heroine punching what looks like a harmless old lady in the jaw (it makes sense in context!), which is always fun.
4. Iron Man 3
Possibly the most undervalued of all the MCU films is Iron Man 3, which reunited star Robert Downey Jr. with his Kiss Kiss Bang Bang auteur Shane Black, who wreaked havoc on one of the comic book's most legendary villains while delivering a satisfying, smart, and funny action movie thrill ride. But the trailer for the film actually hinted at a much darker and grittier Iron Man adventure, one that many fans are still disappointed they didn’t quite get.
3. Avengers: Infinity War
All Marvel trailers are somewhat eagerly anticipated by fans, but it was the Avengers trailers that tended to get the most advance hype. With so many characters and villains in the mix, there was more mystery about what the movies would actually be like, and what kind of stories they would tell. Anticipation was especially high for Infinity War, and the film's trailer delivered on some very big moments in the film while deftly concealing the plot twist that practically everyone on Earth is now familiar with.
2. Black Panther
Black Panther became more successful and culturally relevant than almost anyone expected after it was released, but those who were paying attention to its advertising campaign probably weren’t as surprised. The teaser trailer that gave us our first look at this movie obviously seems to promise a phenomenon, and that’s before "Run The Jewels" kicks in.
1. Avengers: Endgame
By the time the trailer for Avengers: Endgame came out, anticipation for the conclusion of the Avengers saga had reached unimaginable proportions. That meant that all the trailer had to do was stoke those fires and not screw anything up. But they seemed to go beyond that low bar, with a killer, now iconic, Avengers score featured prominently in the trailer’s final moments.
Whether you agree or disagree with these selections, you have to admit that the folks at Marvel seem to know what they’re doing, trailer-wise. And since the MCU still has plans going years into the future, a list like this might look completely different before we know it. Stay tuned.
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