Super Bowl Ads Tease A Big Year Ahead For Animated Movies

Once again, the Super Bowl’s ad breaks turned into a can’t-miss showcase for Hollywood’s upcoming slate, and for animation fans, there was plenty to be excited about.

Leading the pack was probably the first look at the newest entry from the Despicable Me universe. Minions & Monsters teased its chaotic blend of slapstick and spectacle with a first-look trailer that dropped exclusively in the Super Bowl window, showing Illumination’s signature yellow troublemakers summoning more than they bargain for, including the cutest Cthulhu we’ve ever seen.

Illumination wasn’t done there, though. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie rolled out its own cosmic tease, giving audiences a peek at the expanded world beyond the Mushroom Kingdom. We’ve had a couple of teases for the high-profile sequel already, but this one gave us an extended look at the film’s sure-to-be favorite new addition, Yoshi.

In the unique position of having a March release on the horizon, Pixar used the big game to drop another look at Hoppers, the original family adventure that could prove to be a major step in the studio’s journey back to making originals that put butts in cinema seats.

We also got a Toy Story cameo when Woody showed up in Levi’s Super Bowl spot.

If the biggest advertising day of the year is any indication of what’s to come, 2026 could be yet another year when animation powers the box office with high-profile IPs and, hopefully, at least a couple of new, exciting originals.