Teasers and trailers are like appetizers that make the audience hungry for the main course. More than just announcements, good trailers become events that start discussions among audiences. Studios spend their millions in producing these brief promotional videos as they form a crucial part of movie marketing strategies.
Every promotional move depends on when and where it appears. A trailer shown during the annual Super Bowl broadcast will instantly receive millions of eyeballs. Studios often want to strike viewers exactly when they are hyped up or chilling with family. The effectiveness of smart marketing strategies can make or break that first impression.
Disney is often seen dominating the trailer market through its superhero releases. The Marvel Cinematic Universe directly or indirectly urges audiences to keep up with every new installment. Other cinema production companies also organize their own trailer launches, which drive millions of viewers in a few hours.
Let’s count down the 10 trailers that gathered the most views in 24 hours.
10. It teaser trailer
Before Transformers and Avengers, a terrifying It trailer surpassed over 197 million views within the first day of its release. In 2017, New Line Cinema released the Stephen King adaptation to a worldwide audience. The movie broke the previous record of 139 million views by The Fate of the Furious (as per Variety).
30 localized versions of the trailer were released simultaneously. More than 81 million people in the United States watched the Facebook release while it was shared more than 1.8 million times. YouTube placed the teaser at number one on trending, and it stayed there the entire day.
Andres Muschietti directed the movie based on Stephen King’s horror novel by displaying an antagonist that terrorizes seven children using its ability to transform into different disguises. Through its trailer, audiences got the first look at Bill Skarsgård’s terrifying Pennywise.
9. Thor: Love and Thunder teaser trailer
Thor is back, and he is shedding that Endgame beer belly. Thor: Love and Thunder hit the screens with a teaser that’s typical Taika Waititi- bright, quirky, and rocking Guns N’ Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine. Chris Hemsworth portrays the Thunder God alongside Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, and they team up with Natalie Portman‘s Mighty Thor version. Christian Bale’s creepy Gorr the God Butcher seals the deal.
The trailer was released in April 2022 without any special events triggering a massive viewer response. It gained 209 million views within its first day of release (as per Variety). It showed how powerful the Marvel brand has become. Social media fueled excitement over Jane Foster’s hammer moment.
From his early days as a relatively less popular Avenger to becoming a lead attraction within the MCU, the trailer’s response proved that Thor went through a notable transformation, although the movie didn’t live up to expectations.
8. The Lion King (2019) teaser trailer
Disney’s 2019 The Lion King remake brought Simba back with a jaw-dropping photo realistic teaser. Donald Glover voices the cub-turned-king, Beyoncé portrays Nala, and James Earl Jones returns as Mufasa. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Scar was as menacing as one could expect.
The teaser launched during Thanksgiving 2018 football games, which was a genius move. It scored 224.6 million views in 24 hours, as per The Lion King official Facebook page. That made it Disney’s No. 2 trailer ever at the time.
It’s all about that Circle of Life opening, stunning animals, epic music, and nostalgia overload. Quick shots of Pride Rock and Simba’s journey hooked viewers.
7. The Fantastic Four: First Steps teaser trailer
The classic Marvel comic family receives Kevin Feige treatment. The Fantastic Four: First Steps teaser showed a retro-futuristic science fiction atmosphere. The audience will see Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as they appear in front of Ralph Ineson‘s Galactus. The new interpretation presents a nice beginning after some past failures.
The teaser was launched in Alabama, and it achieved 202 million views in its initial 24 hours (as per Deadline). Disney acknowledged this event as their greatest YouTube live stream in history. It also became a subject of over 500,000 X mentions.
The trailer shows a retro science fiction vintage aesthetic and a threatening entity devouring planets. Comic-accurate suits and fast-cut scenes increased the excitement among viewers. After the failures of past adaptations, such a response showed how much fans still love the Fantastic Four.
6. Avengers: Infinity War teaser trailer
Avengers: Infinity War’s teaser united Earth’s mightiest heroes- Chris Evans’ Captain America, Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and others as Josh Brolin’s Thanos hunts the Infinity Stones.
Dropped in November 2017, it gathered 230 million views in 24 hours, as per Marvel. It smashed It‘s 197 million record at the time.
The trailer was dark and intense. The response of the trailer showed how Marvel perfected linking their films through interconnected narratives to produce one event experience. Audiences had been anticipating the scenarios after different post-credit scenes and carefully hidden Easter eggs throughout previous installments.
5. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts teaser trailer
In Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, the franchise reunites Optimus Prime with the Maximal species, like Optimus Primal. After a five-year absence since Bumblebee, Rise of the Beasts‘ teaser response showed that the franchise was not dead yet.
In late 2022, the teaser received 238 million views during its first 24 hours (via The Wrap). It became Paramount’s biggest trailer in history. The trailer surpassed other Transformers trailers, and TikTok and X generated more hype for the film.
Designs that looked retro combined with the Maximal storyline remained the major highlights. The trailer showed brief battle sequences and Prime’s new look, which triggered nostalgia among the viewers. Fans cheered the G1 redesigns.
4. Superman teaser trailer
DC fans have been waiting forever to see their favorite heroes since the failure of the DCEU. DCU’s Superman teaser soared with David Corenswet as the Man of Steel and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Nicholas Hoult was seen as Lex Luthor while Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific, and Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner were seen standing with the hero.
In December 2024, the Superman teaser attracted 250 million viewers in its first 24 hours. James Gunn bragged on X– “Most viewed in DC history!” The trailer was mentioned in over a million posts online.
The trailer looks hopeful, yet there are hints of drama- Superman looks beaten and worried, heroes unite, bright visuals and John Murphy’s score boost the emotions.
3. Avengers: Endgame teaser trailer
People around the world wanted to know the outcome of Thanos’ snap. The teaser trailer of Avengers: Endgame brought audiences together to see Cap and Iron Man, and other superheroes after Infinity War. It had powerful emotions and authentic realism with a deep, sentimental touch.
Dropped Friday morning in December 2018, it scored 289 million views in 24 hours, as per Marvel. It crushed Infinity War’s 230 million record. X buzzed with over 549,000 mentions, which was unmatched at the time.
The teaser was dull and dark. Tony looked stranded in space, Cap and other survivors looked broken, and slow builds to hope kept everyone clicking. The teaser was a gut punch, and this was the MCU’s emotional peak.
Besides the teaser, Endgame‘s official trailer gathered about 268 million views within the first 24 hours of its release.
2. Spider-Man: No Way Home teaser trailer
A multiverse of Marvel’s most beloved superhero already sounds crazy. Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer showed Tom Holland with Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange. But the nostalgia bomb dropped with Alfred Molina‘s Doctor Octavius and Green Goblin’s grenade.
Dropped at CinemaCon and online in August 2021, it hit 355.5 million views in 24 hours (as per Variety). It surpassed Endgame’s 289 million. Social media erupted with over 4.5 million mentions globally.
This quick-paced trailer delivered old villains’ hints while promising the return of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire without even mentioning them anywhere.
1. Deadpool & Wolverine teaser
Fans have been wanting to see Deadpool with Wolverine for so many years. The Deadpool & Wolverine teaser starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman broke the internet when it launched online. It was bloody, funny, and MCU-official.
Launched at Super Bowl LVIII in 2024, it smashed 365 million views in 24 hours, as per Variety. Guinness crowned it the all-time champ, topping No Way Home’s previous record. Super Bowl broadcast itself reached 123 million viewers, which is an all-time high for the sporting event.
Gory action, Jackman’s claws mixed with Deadpool’s chaos, it was a treat for fans. Reynolds exclaimed, “What? One million for every day of the year; that’s so awesome!” (via CNBC). While receiving the Guinness World Records certificate, he also recalled how Jackman had received his first Guinness World Records certificate five years earlier for the longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero.
Movie promotion techniques have progressed as the digital world evolved, as proven by MCU and the Tolkien fantasy series blockbuster trailer success records. Most of these records are recent, the oldest one being released in 2017, which proves the rapid growth of online viewing trends.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
