What's the best way to know a blockbuster film is finally, finally getting ready to open in theaters? When you start seeing it on your television. Aside from the super long-lead TV spots like the ones aired during the Super Bowl, a television ad is the surest sign that a movie is right around the corner, popping up in the middle of your favorite shows to let you know that, very soon, something even more entertaining will be out there in theaters. So keep that in mind as we present to you the first TV spot for The Avengers-- it may not contain a ton of new footage, but it's a clear harbinger that the movie is very very close.
OK, so it actually does give us more of the sassy showdown between Loki and Iron Man, which looks to be one of the highlights of the film, even if I feel sorry for Tom Hiddleston for seeming so skinny and outmatched next to Robert Downey Jr. And it's a nice format for running down who we'll be seeing in the movie, either for those who saw the other Marvel movies and didn't realize so many would be teaming up, or those who have no idea what a Thor is. Hey, don't laugh! A lot of us were in that boat last year.
But now, with the groundwork of Iron Man, Thor and Captain America laid out for us, there's pretty much no choice but to be excited about it. With Joss Whedon directing and what looks like a small country's worth of weaponry onscreen, The Avengers arrives May 4 with a mission to get your attention… a mission it's almost definitely going to win.
