(Image Source: Empire)
Florence Pugh, reprising her role as Yelena Belova (the second Black Widow) in "Thunderbolts*", recently told "Empire" magazine that the film would have "an indie film feel, an A24 vibe, but starring Marvel superheroes." Marvel Studios then promptly released a trailer today that perfectly embodies that A24 aesthetic.
※ Watch the full trailer below ▼
The trailer's editing style strikingly mimics that of A24's independent productions. Furthermore, the accompanying copy deliberately highlights the numerous "Thunderbolts*" cast and crew members with A24 connections. For instance, director Jake Schreier helmed six episodes of the first season of A24's acclaimed series "Beef," while Pugh herself starred in the A24-distributed horror film "Midsommar."
A24 itself even weighed in on the buzz:
(Image Source: Reddit)
Another notable detail is Marvel's deliberate inclusion of "Absolute Cinema" on the trailer's thumbnail. This directly references the widely circulated black-and-white meme featuring Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese. The meme gained traction after Scorsese repeatedly criticized Marvel films in recent years, dismissing them as "theme park rides" rather than legitimate cinematic art. This sparked a trend among netizens who began playfully using "Cinema" in an exaggerated manner to determine which films truly qualified as artistic masterpieces.
Marvel's "Thunderbolts*" is slated to hit North American theaters on May 2nd.