Last year, we saw Sir Anthony Hopkins channel his inner mascot in one of Super Bowl LVIII’s best commercials. And, already, as we prepare to watch the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox amid (or you can watch the Super Bowl without cable), we know we’re in for more hilarious ads. If your biggest aspirations include seeing Channing Tatum go all Magic Mike to dance with Ryan Reynolds’ soccer team, well, I like your style, and you’re in luck amid this event on the 2025 TV schedule. The story behind Tatum’s involvement in the commercial is great, but the actor has a pretty big concern when it comes to his predecessor.
Channing Tatum Was Nervous To ‘Make A Fool’ Of Himself In Front Of Wrexham Team
Not only did Channing Tatum make a surprise cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine last summer, but Ryan Reynolds — who owns Wrexham AFC with Rob McElhenny — recruited strikers Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer for appearances as well. Who knew that wouldn’t be the last project the trio worked on together? Tatum told The Athletic he was still concerned about how the footballers would react to the Stōk Cold Brew shoot, even though he flew in early to catch a game and hang with the team. He said:
I was still nervous. I knew I was going to have to make a fool out of myself the next day in front of them. It could have gone one of two ways. They could have been, ‘Who is this dumb American actor, coming in here and doing whatever?’ This is their job. They work hard at what they do. They are having an incredible season. I didn’t know what the vibe was going to be. But they were just so sweet.
From the looks of things, everything worked out quite well, especially considering they were only given 30-45 minutes with the players before practice. Check out the commercial below, which Ryan Reynolds shared ahead of Super Bowl LIX:
How in the world did those athletes keep a straight face with Channing Tatum flipping and sliding around like that? Especially Steven Fletcher, the striker who Tatum came nose-to-nose with while emphasizing the importance of eye contact. Tatum seemed happy with their performances as well. He said:
They were actually all pretty incredible at keeping a poker face. So good, actually, that I had to ask, ‘You guys still like me, right?'
They weren’t the only ones Channing Tatum was concerned about liking him with that Stōk Cold Brew, because the Blink Twice star knew he had some Wrex the Dragon-sized shoes to fill.
Channing Tatum Is Concerned About Anthony Hopkins’ Reaction To His Super Bowl Commercial
You might not think that donning the large red head of Wrex the Dragon could be the work of a serious actor like Anthony Hopkins, but there’s no doubt the Hannibal Lecter portrayer brought a gravitas to the role in last year’s Super Bowl commercial. Channing Tatum knows that, and he expressed concern for when his predecessor sees him dancing around the lockerroom, as he mused:
Man, I feel embarrassed. I hope Anthony Hopkins doesn’t see this and go, ‘Really? This is who’s filling my shoes?'
At least Channing Tatum didn’t have to wear the mascot costume. If he really is concerned with the Welsh actor’s opinion of him, he probably won’t want to show him the outtakes from the shoot (but my God, if there are outtakes, you can send those my way). Tatum recalled a little mishap he had while gyrating around the team’s medical supply table, saying:
I face-planted off the table. I remember getting there (before filming) and they showed me the table. I’m, like, ‘This isn’t a table — how am I supposed to do anything on this thing?’ Sure enough, I fell off. I was, like, ‘Oh my God!’ Everyone was crying with laughter.
Again, I plead, we need outtakes.
This is just one of the great commercials that awaits us during Super Bowl LIX on February 9. While many people may only be worried about how to watch Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s halftime show, I will be tuning in to see if any of the commercials will beat Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson’s hilariously traumatic E.T. parody. And the game. There’s also a football game.
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