Marketing hasn’t been the same ever since film studios discovered memes, and whether you greet such ploys with a chuckle or an eyeroll, it’s undeniable that they’re working as intended. Prime example? The new Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent promo released by the film’s official Twitter page.
The promotional video features a scene from the Nicolas Cage-led action comedy, where the film’s star (who portrays a fictionalized version of himself), gets into a passionate back-and-forth of healthy masculinity with Javi Gutierrez, a billionaire and Cage’s biggest fan. But, by way of shoddy visual and auditory editing intended to play up the ironic comedy of it all, the scene changes so that Javi is actually the Mandalorian of the Star Wars canon. The promo also takes advantage of by jokingly declaring that Nicolas Cage, the actor, is now canon to the Star Wars universe.
Fans took it a step further in the replies, embellishing the multiverse-canon joke by pondering if Star Wars was also part of the Marvel series of films, referencing Cage’s portrayal of Marvel Comics character Ghost Rider in the 2007 film of the same name, as well as its 2012 sequel.
In response, the film’s Twitter replied with “It’s the Nick Cage-verse at the end of the day,” and, in this case, they’re actually right; Nicolas Cage is set to channel many of the different characters he’s played over the years into this upcoming performance; a feat that will no doubt satisfy both the “action” and “comedy” portions of the film.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent will release in the United States on April 22.