Is the new ‘Mandalorian and Grogu’ trailer ... good?

Happy Friday, Popculturology readers. Welcome to the weekly newsletter. I’m over here doing the math on whether or not it’s the final one of February — it’s not a leap year, but do you have to divide by 100? — but my time is probably better spent diving into the pop culture news of the week.

I can’t remember what got me thinking about it earlier this week, but I started wondering if we’re close to getting our first teaser trailer for Dune: Part Three. It seems like one could come at any time now. We’re pretty much the same distance of time away from the film’s release as the span between the first teaser for Dune: Part Two and its opening. I just can’t get past the idea that Warner Bros. is going to release Dune: Part Three on the same day that Disney puts Avengers: Doomsday into theaters.

Warner Bros. has to blink at some point. You don’t prove a point by losing every single premium screen to Disney.

Speaking of premium screens, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller put together an explainer of all twelve formats that you can watch Project Hail Mary in to prepare moviegoers for tickets to the film going on sale today. (You better believe I have a reminder set to buy mine.)

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The wonderful Wonder Man

It’s been a few weeks since Marvel Studios dropped the entire eight-episode run of Wonder Man on Disney+. I’m a dummy for not watching this one sooner, but I caught up over the weekend, and — wow — was Wonder Man fantastic.

It’s a miracle this limited series can standalone separate from the current state of the Multiverse Saga but at the same time is a brilliant payoff and conclusion to Ben Kingsley’s arc that began way back in 2013 with Iron Man 3. I also need much, much more Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the MCU.

Speaking of the future of the MCU, I couldn’t help but watch Wonder Man and imagine what Destin Daniel Cretton, who co-created this series along with directing several episodes, would’ve done with an Avengers movie. (He was previously on board for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty before that one fell apart and was replaced by Avengers: Doomsday and the Russo brothers.) At least we’re going to see Cretton direct Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

BOOK NOOK

Here’s what I’ve been reading this week …

• The Forest on the Edge of Time (Jasmin Kirkbride)

NEWS, NOTES & TRAILERS

🍿 Lucasfilm steps it up with the new Mandalorain and Grogu trailer

I wasn’t impressed by Lucasfilm’s Super Bowl commercial for The Mandalorian and Grogu, but the actual trailer released by the studio has my attention. Is there a chance that The Mandalorian and Grogu might actually be good?

I’m on record as being wildly underwhelmed by the first trailer for the upcoming Star Wars movie. I wrote back in September that the “trailer has the bare minimum amount of faith in Star Wars fans. There’s zero hook to it beyond, Hey, dummies, you love Star Wars so you’re gonna love this slop. Don’t even ask how the Razor Crest is back.” I echoed those thoughts on an episode of the Hoth Takes podcast.

But this new trailer nudged me a bit toward believing that just maybe The Mandalorian and Grogu has something to it.