Super Bowl ads can be weird and wonderful, and occasionally even wish fulfillment for fans. Such may be the case with this year’s recently released Nissan ad, a spot that will get prime ad space during Super Bowl LVI and features none other than Schitt’s Creek star Eugene Levy playing a superhero. Oh yeah, and stars from Marvel movies Brie Larson, Dave Bautista, Danai Gurira also pop in. Plus, there's a special Schitt’s Creek cameo, too.
I didn’t know how delightful I would find Eugene Levy uttering phrases like, “Well, cock-a-doodle- doo” while ramping a car off of the roof of a building. As part of these heroics, Dave Bautista also flies off of a motorcycle and into the open passenger seat in Levy’s leaping car as fire blasts all around. Super Bowl ads costs a fortune to air, and it’s the kind of scene that makes one wonder just what kind of budget this ad actually had? Anyway, take a look.
No, your eyes are not deceiving you. In the first part of the brand new ad, Levy is seen cruising down the freeway after being handed the keys to the hotly-anticipated 2023 Nissan Z by Brie Larson. As he's driving, he pulls up alongside a much more practical Nissan Ariya crossover vehicle. In it sits none other than his former TV co-star Catherine O’Hara, who seems surprised to see the other actor looking so suave.
Later, as Eugene Levy continues to push the car faster and further, the superhero antics ramp up, and Dave Bautista and Danai Gurira get involved. When all is said and done, Levy saves both the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star and his own coffee from impending disaster, before the audience learns it's all just a part of a movie premiere titled Thrill Driver (subtle). They all drive off happily into the sunset in another Nissan (of course) at the end.
Honestly, the whole thing is fun casting, and it kind of makes me wonder why no one has thought to cast the Schitt's Creek star in an MCU movie before. Feels like a missed opportunity, though I suppose there are always plenty of upcoming Marvel movies in the pipeline.
The Super Bowl ad itself was directed by Craig Gillespie, who also directed Disney’s Cruella recently. It will officially air on February 13 as the Los Angeles Rams face off against the Cincinnati Bengals on NBC. We'll also be getting a notably pricy Halftime Show from Doctor Dre. We'll have to wait and see how the other major ads stack up, as well as how the ratings go for the big game, but hopefully there will be all the gifs of Levy with long hair rolling around the interwebs before then.
