The 60th Super Bowl featured a plethora of movie trailers and Hollywood projects, setting the slate for an exciting year for film while mixing in the perfect amount of nostalgia bait. Here are the major highlights from this year’s Super Bowl commercials for all the cinephiles like me who could not be bothered to watch this year’s big sports event.
The Mandalorian & Grogu (2026)
It’s been half a decade since a new Star Wars film played on a big screen. Since then, Disney has focused its efforts on expanding the universe through the television realm on its streaming platform, with shows like The Mandalorian (2019-), Ahsoka (2023-), and Andor (2022-2025). Following the viral success of The Mandalorian, and most notably “Baby Yoda,” The Mandalorian & Grogu is set to hit theaters this May as a big-screen continuation of the live-action series. The film is directed by Jon Favreau.
The film’s Super Bowl teaser parodies a typical Super Bowl advertisement. Featuring a voiceover by Sam Elliot, Grogu and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) ride through a snowy planet on a sleigh pulled by creatures reminiscent of the famous Budweiser Clydesdales. Although the teaser lacks much additional footage from the film, it’s a clever way to get non-die-hard fans’ attention, and the advertisement’s deliberate meta-ness demonstrates a clear, creative point of view that you can’t help but admire.
Project Hail Mary (2026)
The Ryan Gosling-led Project Hail Mary debuted a new trailer featuring Gosling and Academy Award-nominated actress Sandra Hüller from Anatomy of a Fall (2023). The film is a long-anticipated sci-fi adaptation of Andy Weir, whose previous book, “The Martian,”was adapted into a movie in 2015 starring Matt Damon. That film received seven nominations at the 88th Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Project Hail Mary is already garnering award buzz, with early reactions praising the film and calling ita major contender in the upcoming awards season. Weir’s mix of comedy and science fiction continues here, as evident in the film’s new Super Bowl spot, while also underlining the film’s high-stakes premise. The film is directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and is set to release this March.
The Adventures of Cliff Booth (2026)
Finally, Brad Pitt returns to his Academy Award-winning performance as Cliff Booth in David Fincher’s The Adventures of Cliff Booth. The film is a sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), and Tarantino returned to write the screenplay. The Super Bowl commercial marked the first official footage from the film.
The trailer cleverly plays with broadcast standards by visibly censoring profanity, weapons, alcohol, cigarettes, and cheekily stating the film has “now” been approved for all audiences. It doesn’t give away much but leans into the aura that made Once Upon a Time in Hollywood so spectacular, balancing the signature Tarantino chaos and humor with the tension and glamour of this era in Hollywood.
The film is a Netflix release, but the flamboyant trailer suggests it could hint at a longer theatrical run than typical Netflix productions. The film is set to release sometime later this year.
Disclosure Day (2026) and Steven Spielberg‘s Legacy
Having one Super Bowl commercial is already pretty impressive, but having two is truly special. Steven Spielberg joins the phenomenon of “double-dipping” in advertisements without ever actually appearing in this year’s lineup.
First, Spielberg debuted a new trailer for his upcoming film Disclosure Day. The film stars Josh O’Connor and Emily Blunt in an extraterrestrial story that captures the mounting tension and large-scale wonder that have long defined Spielberg’s approach to the sci-fi genre. It marks his return to the alien genre for the first time in over two decades, following 2005’s War of the Worlds.
Speaking of large-scale wonder, viewers also returned to Spielberg’s Jurassic Park (1993) in an Xfinity advertisement. The commercial reunited the original Jurassic Park cast — Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum — in a tongue-in-cheek alternate universe where Xfinity’s internet connection saves the day, preventing the events of the movie from occurring. The advertisement features the franchise’s iconic imagery and plays on iconic lines.
Both Super Bowl spots demonstrate Spielberg’s enduring influence and legacy, while the Jurassic Park advertisement may act as unintentional marketing by reminding audiences of the nostalgia and wonder long associated with his films.
Update Courtesy of Kam Ryan
Feature Image from ‘Disclosure Day’ Trailer | Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment