Since its inception, one of the most fun aspects of The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the trailers. Part hype vehicle and part easter egg hunt, the release of a new Marvel trailer is pretty much always an event. Most of the fun of watching a new trailer for the latest MCU movie is the speculation that comes as a result. Say what you will about the impact of the MCU on the cinematic landscape, but there’s no denying that Marvel’s marketing division has changed the way movies will be marketed for decades to come. Even if some of the movies may not live up to the hype, a good Marvel trailer always gets people talking. In honor of the unbridled glory that is the first trailer for Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, here are the best MCU trailers (so far).
Cover Photo: Marvel Studios
12. Iron Man 2 – Trailer 1
Iron Man 2 may be the weakest of the Phase 1 films, but it also happens to have one of the most interesting trailers. As our first taste of the larger interconnectivity of the MCU in its infancy, the first trailer for Iron Man 2 is surprisingly effective in retrospect. Aside from featuring several great moments that didn’t even make it into the final film, this trailer manages to highlight the larger scale and action of the story. It’s too bad that the movie couldn’t live up to the hype.
11. Spider-Man Far From Home – Trailer 1
As the first post-Avengers: Endgame movie, the initial trailer for Sider-Man: Far From Home is pretty fun. It’s true that the trailer tries to turn Mysterio into a good guy like the movie does, but anyone who knows anything about the character isn’t duped by this red herring. Although the movie itself is more interested in grappling with Tony Stark’s legacy than telling a solid Spider-Man story, this trailer is fairly entertaining overall.
10. The Avengers – Trailer 2
In certain respects, the marketing for The Avengers has served as the blueprint for all of the superhero team-up movies that have come afterward. In retrospect, the movie is certainly besmirched by the presence of Joss Whedon as director. But aside from the travesty of spoiling one of the film’s best moments (Hulk catching Iron Man), the trailer does a really great job of selling the buildup to the first Avengers movie.
9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Trailer 1
As a teaser, the first Captain America: The Winter Soldier trailer is really well done. While anyone who knows the comics history of Bucky Barnes could see the film’s “twist” coming from a mile away, it still manages to have enough intrigue to keep it interesting. Unlike the trailer that followed this one, this teaser ultimately finds a great balance between mystery and action, while also teasing the larger themes of the story.
8. Avengers: Age of Ultron – Teaser Trailer
Despite the disappointing nature of the final product, the teaser trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron hits all the right notes. Not only is it unsettling in all the right ways, but James Spader’s voice-over is immaculate and the Hulkbuster reveal is still as epic as it gets in the MCU. If only the actual movie had the same tone as the trailers, maybe it wouldn’t have been so disheartening.
7. Guardians of the Galaxy – Trailer 1
There’s no doubt that the first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy is as unconventional as they come. In addition to spending a good amount of the trailer introducing the characters (which is unique for a trailer like this), it also makes iconic use of Blue Swede’s Hooked on a Feeling. Fun, interesting, and unique, this trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy perfectly captures the James Gunn mentality in a nutshell.
6. Iron Man – Comic-Con Trailer
The trailer for the original Iron Man is the OG, the one that started it all. While the entire marketing campaign feels a bit antiquated in retrospect, this trailer is so legendary that it’s not even a stretch to say that it jump-started the hype machine of the MCU. It’s basically an extended version of the first theatrical trailer for Iron Man, but the crowd reaction to the reveal of the Mark III suit still sends chills down one’s spine.
5. Avengers: Endgame – Trailer 2
Whatever it takes. That was the motto of not only this trailer, but the attempts of the Marvel marketing team to show as little of this movie as possible in the trailers. While this approach worked spectacularly in terms of surprising the audience, but it also yielded the highest-grossing movie of all time. It already feels like an eternity ago, but the hype machine for Avengers: Endgame will not likely be matched for some time, if ever. As some writer once said, the movie is “a once-in-a-lifetime cinematic event.”
4. Avengers: Infinity War – Teaser Trailer
Avengers: Endgame may be the better movie, but Avengers: Infinity War undoubtedly had the better marketing campaign. From the somber tone and foreboding voice-over from Josh Brolin’s Thanos to Spider-Man’s first appearance as an Avenger and Thor meeting the Guardians, everything in the trailer is quite simply *chef’s kiss*. In short, it’s basically a perfect Avengers trailer.
3. Black Panther – Teaser Trailer
Black Panther is most certainly a cultural milestone, and the marketing campaign behind the film is a major part of the reason for that. The teaser for Black Panther is as sleek as they come, just giving us enough information to be intrigued about the world of Wakanda while showing off some of the film’s flashier visuals at the same time. Mix that with the impeccable use of Legend Has It by Run The jewels, and you get something truly special. Luckily, the final film lived up to the hype.
2. Thor: Ragnarok – Teaser Trailer
The trailer for Thor: Ragnarok is a piece of art in itself, and near-perfection as far as teasers go. Aside from the iconic “he’s a friend from work” line, it also manages to successfully reimagine Thor from a stale character into someone cool and fun in under two minutes. Ultimately, this trailer for Thor: Ragnarok is not only one of the most visually stunning, but it’s also the best teaser trailer that marvel has released – at least so far.
1. Captain America: Civil War – Trailer 2
The second trailer for Captain America: Civil War could top the list for containing the long-overdue reveal of Spider-Man in the MCU alone, but it’s still so great even removed from that. Part of the reason why this trailer is so successful is that it really ratchets up the emotion of the story, which is on full display here. Civil War is one of the best comic storylines, so this would naturally be one of the best Marvel movies. But what this MCU trailer really does well is it sells the clear battle lines that have been drawn between two fan-favorite characters, which helps people to invest more than they already have.
