Carl Weathers' New Super Bowl Commercial Is Getting Changed Up After His Death, But I Hope They Don't Remove Him Entirely
In honor of a Hollywood legend.
As fans of NFL football and high-dollar advertising campaigns await the arrival of Super Bowl LVIII and all its big plays and performances, the sports-entertainment world suffered a sad hit in the form of Carl Weathers’ death. The 76-year-old athlete-turned-actor passed away in his sleep on February 1, 2024, with possibly his final filmed performance coming in a Super Bowl ad. Following the tragic news, the company FanDuel revealed the ad will be adjusted accordingly, but I can only hope they don’t remove Weathers entirely.
Previously, Carl Weathers was revealed to be appearing along with former NFL champ Ron Gronkowski in at least one Super Sunday ad, for a follow-up campaign to the “Kick of Destiny” arc that was part of last year’s lineup (though it wasn’t one of Super Bowl LVII’s funniest commercials). A 30-second ad was shared online well ahead of time (an issue we’ve written about previously), but it sounds like it may not be the same finalized version that airs on CBS.
According to THR, FanDuel released a statement indicating the company execs’ decision to tweak the existing ad. It stated:
Check out the ad below to see Weathers riding up out of nowhere in the desert like a pure badass.
I obviously understand that this is an extremely sensitive time for everyone in Carl Weathers’ family, and my wishes are not for anyone to be more upset than they already are. But it doesn’t look like he had any other on-screen roles on the horizon, with The Mandalorian’s Season 3 finale and Toy Story 4 being his last reported TV and film roles, respectively. (The same goes for his directorial efforts, which include two 2023 episodes of Mando and Chicago Med.)
As such, it would be unfortunate if this last bit of TV excellence was clipped from existence entirely, especially if there’s more footage of Weathers and Gronkowski together. I’m not going to act like the “Kick of Destiny II” campaign is on the same level as his work in the Rocky franchise or on Arrested Development, but anytime pop culture has a chance to embrace the Action Jackson star in any capacity, that chance should be taken.
FanDuel certainly isn’t the only company whose Super Bowl ad popped up online in the weeks preceding the big game. Viewers can also get early peeks at Kate McKinnon’s Mayo Cat commercial and the Suits cast promoting e.l.f. Cosmetics. And they’ll all be on the small screen when Super Bowl LVIII airs on CBS on Sunday, February 11, at 6:00 p.m. ET, and it’ll be streaming for everyone with Paramount+ subscriptions.
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Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper. Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.