Why did Marvel Studios opt out of their traditional promotion at Super Bowl?

Marvel Studios has suddenly stepped away from one of their long lasting marketing traditions this year. Despite having two major releases lined up — Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31 and Avengers: Doomsday on December 18 — the studio skipped promoting its films during the Super Bowl on February 8.

Breaking a 16-year Super Bowl streak, Marvel Studios opts out on promoting their upcoming films

Every year with the big leagues taking the center stage, the Super Bowl has been one of the biggest platforms for trailer previews and promotions for big brands. Since 2008, marking a tradition, Marvel Studios has used the Super Bowl for the debut of new trailers for their upcoming films.

Only in 2009, they couldn’t as there was no film to promote. But from Iron Man 2 in 2010 to Thunderbolts in 2025, each year the audience got the glimpse of the action filled Marvel auras on the huge Super Bowl screens. But this year, despite having two films that audiences around the world have been eagerly anticipating, Marvel chose not to take the spotlight on Super Bowl night.

The major reasons are quite straightforward and legit. One of them being the sudden inflation of the price tag. A 30-second Super Bowl commercial now reportedly sits at around $10 million which was $2 million less last year. The studio must have thought why to spend that much on just a teeny tiny glimpse of their production. Also December and January gave fans little snippets from the Avengers film but Spiderman is yet to make its teaser debuts. These have been quite the marketing tactics for the film for now. 

Another reason might be the timing because it is all that matters in advertisements. Both the films are having some time for its release and with the upcoming major events like CinemaCon (held in Las Vegas) and Comic Con (held in San Diego), a feature in these events seem rational with the release dates being closer.

By breaking a 16-year-long streak, the studio has sparked fresh debate around its marketing strategy. Whether this decision signals a scary risk or a masterful trick, only time will tell.

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