UPDATE: Deadpool 2 writer Rhett Reese reveals the film will not receive a Super Bowl ad.
Deadpool 2 may debut a new trailer or other footage during Super Bowl LII despite reports that 20th Century Fox will be sitting out the big game. After Deadpool languished in development for over a decade, Fox finally gave the film the green light in late 2014 after test footage mysteriously leaked and received an immensely positive reaction from fans. Released in early 2016, Deadpool was a massive critical and financial hit for Fox, becoming the top-grossing X-Men film the studio has ever released and breaking box office records for R-rated films.
As such, the sequel to Deadpool is one of the most anticipated film of 2018. Fox released an initial teaser trailer for Deadpool 2 late in 2017, but the most recent reports indicated the full trailer wouldn't arrive until mid-February, just in time for it to play before Marvel Studios' Black Panther, and that Deadpool 2 would skip the Super Bowl. In fact, by all accounts, Fox wasn't expected to tease any of their upcoming films during the big game, with Warner Bros. and Sony additionally sitting it out. However, new information has surfaced that indicates Fox purchased ad time during Super Bowl LII, and Deadpool 2 may debut new footage during the game after all.
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Fellow 20th Century Fox release Red Sparrow will debut a new TV spot during Super Bowl LII, teasing the upcoming spy thriller starring Jennifer Lawrence, who reteamed with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire director Francis Lawrence. The announcement that Red Sparrow will unveil a Super Bowl TV spot refutes reports that Fox would sit out the game entirely, which leads us to ask: will Deadpool 2 get a Super Bowl trailer? It's a much more likely possibility now that Red Sparrow is getting a Super Bowl ad, but is by no means confirmed.
In 2016, Deadpool released a Super Bowl commercial, although it opened the Friday following the game that year, so it undoubtedly made sense for Fox to preview the film. The release date of Deadpool 2 isn't until May 2018, obviously much farther out. Still, it's not uncommon for movie studios to unveil trailers or other new footage for summer releases at the Super Bowl. This year, Paramount is pushing Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Universal is promoting Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Disney is expected to promote Avengers: Infinity War, and potentially Solo: A Star Wars Story.
With that said, it's possible Fox will only promote Red Sparrow during the Super Bowl since the film is a harder sell for the studio among general audiences - and its release date is much sooner, with the movie hitting theaters in early March. Though Lawrence is an incredibly popular leading actress in Hollywood, the Jason Matthews novel on which its based may not be well known among moviegoers. While conversation has been sparked around Red Sparrow for its similarities to Black Widow, the Marvel character with a similar backstory to Lawrence's Dominika Egorova, the movie will no doubt benefit greatly by being promoted during such a high-profile event as the Super Bowl.
Ultimately, it's unclear whether Deadpool 2 will get a Super Bowl trailer or TV spot (perhaps Fox will release a short teaser for the trailer that's expected to be unveiled later this month). There's certainly precedent for Fox to promote the Merc with a Mouth at the biggest sporting event on the planet, but the studio may focus on Red Sparrow and launch a bigger marketing push for their upcoming superhero movie after the big game. We'll have to tune into Super LII on Sunday to find out what, if anything, Fox has planned for Deadpool 2.
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Super Bowl LII kickoff is set for Sunday February 4 at 6:30pm ET on NBC.
