Marvel Relishes Subliminal Advertising in New Deadpool & Wolverine Teaser

"Someone is getting sued so hard."

By Cameron Bonomolo

Deadpool and Wolverine go together like ketchup and mustard. Marvel Studios on Monday poured on the Deadpool & Wolverine marketing blitz, announcing a condiment collab with Heinz and a partnership with fast food giant Jack in the Box. The red leather-clad Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and the mustard yellow-suited Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) already appeared on a line of movie-inspired frozen pizzas and limited edition bottles of gin — and now they're topping off the food-focused campaign with a side of not-so-subtle subliminal advertising.

"I'm normally all in on the legal and moral opaqueness of subliminal advertising, but not when it messes with my trailer," Reynolds' Merc with a Mouth says in voiceover as new Deadpool & Wolverine footage is interposed with flashes of Heinz ketchup and mustard bottles. The 47-second spot then goes full advertisement as the Deadpool & Wolverine logo is replaced with a red-and-yellow "Ketchup & Mustard" and the Heinz slogan, with Deadpool quipping: "Someone is getting sued so hard."

Heinz's "Now You Can't Unsee It" sponsorship comes after Reynolds and Jackman reprised their roles for a cheeky ad that aired during ABC's The Bachelorette, Heineken Silver's "World-Class Bubs" campaign, and a rollout of Deadpool & Wolverine-themed claw machines at Dave & Busters. Along with Heinz, the film's sponsors include Reynolds' Aviation Gin brand, DiGiornio, Jack in the Box, HotTopic, SuperX, Fortnite, apparel brand Homage, and Marvel Comics.

Disney is going all out for the only Marvel Studios movie this year, which is tracking to break box office records for an R-rated movie and the biggest opening weekend of 2024. The Shawn Levy-directed MCU movie already broke ticket seller Fandango's best first-day ticket sales record for the year.

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"There's a reason it's been six years since the last Deadpool film for me. And that is specifically because in order to make one of these movies properly, it just swallows my whole life," Reynolds, who also serves as producer and co-writer, said during a recent fan event. "I do nothing but that for at least two years. But to come back and bring these two characters together [is] something people have been asking for as long as I can remember, but something that I've wanted for as long as I can remember, and Hugh has wanted, and Shawn."

Reynolds and Jackman star alongside returning Deadpool cast members Morena Baccarin, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Rob Delaney, Brianna Hildebrand, Shioli Kutsuna, and Stefan Kapičić, with Succession star Matthew Macfadyen joining the MCU as TVA Agent Paradox and The Crown's Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova. Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine opens only in theaters July 26th.

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