Here’s the long version of “The Avengers” Super Bowl spot, featuring – among other delights – our first look at the team (Hulk included!) together in broad daylight.
HOLY. SHIT. This is a real thing.
UPDATE! Here’s a screencap – enlarged, cropped and color-enhanced – of the brief shot of what may be the first glimpse of the (thus far) top-secret creatures who’re supposedly serving as Loki’s soldiers. Still can’t tell what they are, but a look is a look.
Most people have been calling them “Skrulls” generically, but apparently they can’t be because Fox owns screen-rights to them via the “Fantastic Four” license. Others are guessing it’s just the Frost Giants again, but from the image it doesn’t look much like them – they’re wearing some sort of shiny gray/green armor (the lower guy also seems to have a blue lens-flare light coming from his) for one thing, and even if that’s skin the Giants were blue.
The main distinguishing features I can make out are that they’re feet, hands and forearms are bigger in proportion to their body, three-toed feet and are wearing some sort of helmets with an extended “crown” peice. So… Thanos-related, maybe? Eternals? Celestials? Deviants? The Phalanx? Kree?
I will say that I remain vaugely concerned about the “scale” of the thing – nearly all the action beats we’ve seen seem to be the same NYC location and there’s a paucity (so far) of mass-extras or broad scope. Maybe that means they’re holding back, maybe it means it’s a “one giant extended battle sequence” thing, but it’s an issue given that the sole knock against Whedon is that he’s a TV guy without much big-scale moviemaking experience (no, the theatrically-released TV movie that was “Serentity” – which I liked – doesn’t count.)
On the other hand, scale isn’t everything (see: Bay, Michael.) If the screenplay is as densely-packed with well-utilized Marvel mythos as the lead-up films and the dialogue crackles like that final exchange between Loki and Stark; a less-than “Transformers” scale mini-epic is more than a fair trade.
MOVIEBOB CENTRAL 
Is it just me, or did the badguys look like the Phalanx? Oh, and THIS TRAILER WAS FUCKING AWESOME OH MY FUCKING GOD – ahem, I do believe I enjoyed that.
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“I have an army.”
“We have a Hulk.”
Color me excited.
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That shot of The Hulk flying through the air smashing those flying things was AWESOME!!
And Loki chatting with Tony Stark? Cool!!!
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Still a bit concerned by the balance of character interplay. Iron Man seems to be getting more screentime than Cap. Trailers always lie, so maybe this shouldn't bother me, but I'm pretty sure the order needs to be 1. Captain America is the main focus, 2. Iron Man, 3. Thor (since Loki is the villain), 4. The other three.
Heck, I could argue for Thor at #2. His brother is the villain, after all. But I'm an official Thor fanboy, so I'm worried about injecting too much of my own Go Go Thor bias into my argument.
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I'm with Axle. That exchange alone makes me excited. I can't wait to see this! XD
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Eh. It's gonna be a good action flick, no one's arguing that. It's up to…well Joss, to make it more than that, and so far none of these trailers have sold me on the idea that it's anything more than an action film, and no amount of 'Hey, this is from the comics' is gonna make me feel otherwise. So it's from the comics and looks like it, so what? Unless your story is good, it could be a beat for beat retread of Infinite Crisis and I still wouldn't care.
So right now the most interesting thing about that trailer to me is Tony wearing the Black Sabbath t-shirt. Still hope it's good though.
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Trailer looked good. Not too impressed with Caps new outfit though.
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I'll admit this probably wasn't the best trailer for Captain America fans, but I'm confident Joss Whedon will know how to handle it. Iron Man has the most mainstream appeal and probably the most trailer-friendly special effects.
Loki and Stark – golden. Also, those enemies don't look like the Frost Giants from Thor, right? Rather distinctly alien? I want to say Skrull, but who knows?
Also, it looks like they're giving Black Widow a solid action slot, which is nice. Not being completely overshadowed and all. Hope they do the same for Hawkeye and Fury, obviously.
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Oh yeah, how'd the superbowl go again? Oh yeah, that's right. You fucking lost.
EAT SHIT NEW ENGLAND!
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Seems like the marketing has taken a step towards what you've been saying they needed, Bob. More epic, less AC/DC.
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I keep hoping that Loki's “army” is actually some kind've magically-augmented Hydra. After all, we don't really know what happened to Red Skull after the Cosmic Cube zapped him away. Since the Cube was Asgardian in origin, it's entirely possible he ended up wherever Loki ended up after he fell off the edge of Bifrost. I highly doubt it, since there's been no report of Hugo Weaving being in any way involved in this, but if this movie does involve Loki & Red Skull leading an army of Hydra agents in Asgardian armor, that would be pretty sweet.
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“but it's an issue given that the sole knock against Whedon is that he's a TV guy without much big-scale moviemaking experience”
Since when has that been the sole complaint against Joss Whedon? Did I miss the part where most of his characters are smug douchebags and he makes bullshit claims about being a feminist?
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Error, that should read “did I imagine the part”
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@someperson,
What I think Bob means is that's the complain about him that's most universally agreed upon, even among his fans. Well, that and his habit of dropping tragedies the moment characters lives start going well.
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I am not gonna lie.
I squealed like a fangirl
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Oh…HELL…yes!
This looks AMAZING.
To be fair, neither John Favreau nor Kenneth Branaugh (spelling on those?) were big-scale comic action guys, and their Marvel movies turned out to be pretty freakin' great.
Can't wait 'till May!
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You know what?
This sums up my reaction pretty well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfJR6sAo0CU
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This comment has been removed by the author.
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I agree that Joss Whedon never really seems to have done huge action sequences (even Serenity was rather tame), but that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to do action. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dollhouse both had some pretty good action, although more on a man-to-man level. Remember how badass River was in Firefly? Like Bob said, scale is not always everything.
@someperson – how, exactly is Whedon a faux feminist? BTVS was way ahead of its time for female action heroes. The characters of Willow and Tara were also pretty groundbreaking for lesbian characters in a mainstream series. Although I'll admit Firefly wasn't his best example of strong female characters, have you seen either Buffy or Dollhouse?
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Well, they called them the “Skrulls” in the production art. But that may have just been for the sake of the art department. It was also an early draft of the scrip so I dont know at this point anymore.
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I want this so bad it hurts. It's seriously hurting me right now.
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ultron maybe, but without pym?
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Looking at screen grabs from Thor, I'm fully convinced the jumping guys are just frost giants.
Whoever is driving the space ship things is probably a totally different creature. Nobody said Loki's army has to be homogeneous.
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Indeed, scale is not everything. Proved by the fact that I was falling asleep during the final battle of Transformers 3.
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I for one am putting my money on the aliens being Badoon for a few reasons. They look about right based on that screen shot and they have that whole gender schism thing, which I think Joss Whedon would love to explore.
Still, they've ruled out Skrulls and Kree and it's entirely possible that they aren't aliens at all.
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Just in case people think this movie is going to be Iron Man-centric, It isn't.
Just thought I'd share!
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Yeah, my money's riding on Kree, though I do hope Red Skull returns in a supporting role.
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Well, I came.
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What were those things from the animated movie? Shi'tarey or something? Thats what they remind me of.
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So, let's see: Dark Knight gave us a teaser early last year, with Avengers gave us a taste after Captain America. While Avengers continued with Nine Inch Nails as their choice of music, Dark Knight gave us a football field breaking down and Bruce Wayne…with a cane. Come Super Bowl Sunday, Avengers gives us the entire team together for the first time, with some witty banter as well from Tony Stark.
Dark Knight….your turn.
Let the awesome trailer race continue!
And, who's that in the distance? Spider Man? Pick it up, man. This spring and summer is going to be awesome. Move it or lose it.
All in all, a great trailer. I'm enthused!
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And the mediocrity somehow ignored by every comic book fanboy on earth for no other reason than “but it has continuity!!!!” (except me and somebody aparently) continues. Lets see, what did that trailer show us? Nothing more than a transformers movie actually. city destroying action scenes punctuated by snark and generic tough guy remarks… whoopy! Im not saying it will suck, I am just saying that the trailers have given NOTHING away to give the impression that it will be anything but an average blockbuster action movie. Atleast thor's costume is back to normal in this trailer unlike the last one.
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I think the Transformers-inspired ad was probably 'cuz it was broadcast during the Superbowl. The logic being “people liked Transformers 3, ergo we should advertise Avengers as being like Transformers 3”.
I sincerely hope.
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I'm not too sure what those alien looking things were. But, to be honest, my first impression is some Ultron-inspired thing. But, I'm sure that's bollocks.
Either way, I'm excited.
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Interesting fanboy speculation in this article:
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/02/05/lokis-army-revealed-avengers-superbowl-trailer-know-who-they-ish/
Guess it's something from a FF / Avengers crossover in Thor from the Simonson run. It ties in nice with what was set up in the Thor film too.
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1 gazillion dollars on Bob giving this thumbs up across the board no matter what…
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The things jumping out of the spaceship looks like Turians to me. Except they're Bioware, not Marvel. Just looked like Turians is all.
Hoping for Skrulls.
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