Marvel Releases ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Cast PSA to Promote Movie Etiquette

Tena Milakovic
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Movie theater etiquette reminders are often overlooked, but Marvel has found a way to turn them into effective promotional tools. The studio cleverly transforms even the simplest pre-show moments into opportunities for marketing. This time, the ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ promo takes a standard phone reminder and elevates it into a cast roll call.

The excitement builds with the return of ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’, which premiered in theaters on September 25 as the official lead-in to ‘Doomsday’. This re-release featured four new scenes filmed during production of the upcoming movie and earned an impressive $86 million globally over the weekend, including $26 million in the US and Canada. This made it the third-best domestic opening for a re-release, following the 1997 ‘Star Wars’ Special Edition and ‘The Lion King 3D’ in 2011.

Fans who attended the screenings last week were treated to a surprise before the film began. On Monday, Marvel Studios unveiled the “Silence Your Phones” PSA online, accompanied by the tagline “Assemble respectfully” and a reminder that tickets are available for the December 18 release. The online clip runs for 31 seconds, while the theater version is around 20 seconds long.

The PSA begins with a glimpse of the Thor and Doctor Doom battle featured in the ‘Doomsday’ trailers, showcasing crackling lightning and a cloaked figure in the mist. Suddenly, a cell phone rings loudly, cutting to a packed movie theater filled with ‘Doomsday’ characters expressing their frustration.

Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova can be heard exclaiming, “no, no, no!” as the ringing persists. A message then prompts everyone to silence their phones, all set to the iconic Avengers theme.

This humorous spot also serves as a showcase for the film’s ensemble cast from three different universes. Fans can see Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Winston Duke as M’Baku, and Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor, all in full costume.

Additionally, the crowd includes Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic and Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, along with the Fox-era X-Men: James Marsden’s Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn’s Mystique, and Channing Tatum’s Gambit. Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Danny Ramirez, and David Harbour also make appearances.

While the PSA features a star-studded lineup, it serves more as a promotional extra than a full trailer. It doesn’t necessarily indicate that every character will play a significant role in the final film.

Not everyone is impressed. The A.V. Club noted the star power but expressed skepticism that a polite request would alter moviegoer behavior, pointing out that such spots only ask patrons to silence their phones rather than keep them away entirely. This observation is valid, as the presence of superheroes on screen often encourages fans to pull out their devices.

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is set to hit theaters on December 18, reuniting heroes from three distinct universes to confront Doctor Doom. The film’s runtime is reported to be 165 minutes, although this figure is still provisional. If accurate, it would be longer than ‘Infinity War’ but shorter than ‘Endgame’.

Premium tickets went on sale on July 20, generating $16.5 million on the first day, according to Variety. General ticket sales began on August 14. Notably, there will be no IMAX screenings in the US for the first three weeks, as ‘Dune: Part Three’ holds the format exclusively, prompting Marvel to rely on its Infinity Vision brand instead.

For a film boasting such a large cast, marketing every opportunity makes sense, even a brief 20-second phone reminder. The clip also highlights that the movie’s biggest draw is the chance to see these beloved characters together.

Whether this will convince anyone to refrain from texting during the film remains to be seen. However, as a piece of cast-driven fan service, it certainly delivers.

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