It’s official: we’re never getting ‘normal’ marketing materials for a Ryan Reynolds movie ever again. In a post-Deadpool world he’s basically committed to being Wade Wilson full-time, breaking the fourth wall at any given opportunity, getting as self-referential as possible, and riffing until he can riff no more. After this week’s 6 Underground promo which saw him promise “the most Michael Bay movie that Michael Bay has ever Michael Bay’d”, he’s back in a new Free Guy teaser (preceding an imminent proper trailer) that sees him… well, just watch it.
What this teaser sells you on – other than blue shirts and name tags – is that top cast, with Reynolds joined by Killing Eve’s brilliant Jodie Comer, Stranger Things’ Joe Keery, and the ever-great Lil Rel Howery. And that’s before you get into the fact that Taika Waititi is in this movie! What it doesn’t offer is any plot. From Shawn Levy, Stranger Things producer and Night At The Museum director, Free Guy takes place inside a video game world – where NPC character Guy (that’s Reynolds) realises the nature of his existence.
As Keery rightly states, it’s a rare summer blockbuster that isn’t based on a pre-existing comic book, franchise, game, anything – so it’ll be fascinating to see how far that high concept and Reynolds’ considerable star power can push this one. Keep an eye out for the main trailer coming over the weekend, and catch Free Guy in UK cinemas on 3 July 2020.