So, earlier this week, as part of the Age of Ultron pre-release press run, Marvel released the first full trailer for Ant-man, a movie that I'm certain everyone has forgot is coming out in July. Like, three months from now. This is the immediate downside to Marvel's three movies a year, all within a condensed time frame - inevitably, one is going to get overshadowed. It also doesn't help that Ant-man is not looking overly impressive.
I'm not casting shade on the film; I reserve every right to do that after the film is released and I see it for what it is. But these trailers... They are tonally schizophrenic. Guardians was given a free pass to be bug-nut crazy, and that paid off huge for them. So why isn't Ant-man being given the same leverage? The Thomas the Tank engine gag pretty much seals that this film is going to contain some unusual humour, and it's being sold on the back's of Paul Rudd, Peter McKay and Peyton Reed's comedic background.
So why are the trailers so resistant to embracing that? Is the movie this scatter shot? Or is it a repeat of Iron Man 3, whose marketing made it look as dreary as The Dark Knight's under-the-stairs-cupboard, but was actually a sarcastic detective story? You'd think that Guardians would have instilled a little more confidence in the marketability (and broader audience reaching scope) of highlighting in the comedy.
Unless, of course, the movie isn't that funny, and Marvel is trying to hide that fact behind special effects and misery. And potentially giving away a lot of third act footage in their first media shot.