Watch the new trailers for Thunderbolts* and Gladiator II

As a seasoned gamer and movie enthusiast with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must say this week has been a rollercoaster ride for my excitement levels! The trailers that have dropped are nothing short of breathtaking, each one promising a unique cinematic journey.

This week is fresh and energetic, and it seems like movie studios are eager to kick things off with a big impact. We’re in for a treat as we’ll be seeing a string of trailers, folks!

Over the last couple of years, Marvel Studios has been finding its stride again following some deep introspection. This year, we’ve only seen one Marvel film, Deadpool & Wolverine, which turned out to be a massive hit. On the television side, Agatha All Along is now streaming on Disney+, making it the first live-action Marvel series released on the platform since Echo premiered in January. It seems that Marvel is focusing more on quality rather than quantity these days, after a period of producing many films and shows.

And now we have our first look at another of the studio’s upcoming movies: Thunderbolts*. We’ve known this film was coming for a while, but the asterisk in the title only made its debut this morning. What does it mean? I don’t know, but you can watch and try to parse it for yourself:

Thunderbolts* trailer

The trailer for “Thunderbolts” has an intriguing atmosphere unlike any other Marvel production, reminiscent of “The Suicide Squad.” This movie revolves around a band of villains and antiheroes who join forces to combat a more formidable threat. It features Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), David Harbour (Red Guardian), Olga Kurylenko (Taskmaster) from “Black Widow,” Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost) from “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” Wyatt Russell (John Walker) from “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” Lewis Pullman, who portrays a new character named Bob, and Sebastian Stan as the recurring character Bucky Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier. The team unites for a perilous undercover mission, overseen by Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s character Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.

This film’s overall setup has typically been entertaining, yet its trailer adds an emotional depth by bringing back Pugh and Harbour, followed by thrusting the team into what seems like wildly action-packed sequences. I can’t hide my anticipation now!

Thunderbolts* is out in theaters on May 2, 2025.

Gladiator II trailer

At Paramount Studios, they unveiled a fresh trailer for “Gladiator II”, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 hit movie. Once again at the helm, Scott promises an incredibly grand spectacle. Expect rhinoceroses, breathtaking sword fights, and a colossal naval battle within a coliseum! Despite mixed feelings about revisiting classic franchises after many years, it’s hard to deny that this film appears tailor-made for the largest cinema screens.

In the sequel titled “Gladiator II“, Paul Mescal portrays Lucius Verus II, a nephew of Emperor Commodus from the initial film, played by Joaquin Phoenix. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Lucius is enslaved but manages to draw the attention of Denzel Washington’s character, Macrinus – a figure described as a “rich and influential broker in power and arms deals” by The Hollywood Reporter. Given that Macrinus is an arms dealer, it seems that the film will feature intense action sequences set in the colosseum, possibly as a strategy for Macrinus to boost his own status.

Completing the lineup are Pedro Pascal as General Marcus Acacius, Joseph Quinn as Emperor Geta, and Connie Nielsen returning to her character from Gladiator. The sequel, titled Gladiator II, premieres in cinemas on November 22nd.

2024-09-23 21:41