Arnold Schwarzenegger goes from a governor to a god in a clip from BMW’s new Super Bowl Ad, in which he threatens a thunder strike as Zeus and teams up with Salma Hayek.
Super Bowl LVI is just around the corner, and the ad teasers have reached mythical proportions. In a new clip from BMW’s contribution to this year’s lineup of commercials, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 74, takes on the role of the Greek god Zeus in the unlikeliest of places…a Starbucks-style coffee shop. As an awkward barista attempts to pronounce his name write, he questions: “Is that like the Greek god of lightning?” Stone-faced, bearded, and fitted with a gold breast plate, Arnold deadpans: “It’s exactly like that.”
Arnold first hinted at the project with a mysterious movie poster shared on his Twitter on Jan. 27, seeming to promote a movie called “Zeus” coming in February 2022. Fans who suspected the transformation maybe for a Super Bowl commercial would be proven right when Salma Hayek, 55, shared a similar promo to her Instagram indicating she would be playing the Hera to Arnold’s Zeus. Salma explained in her caption that the ad promotes BMW’s new electric iX car, the manufacturer’s first. BMW last premiered a Super Bowl commercial in 2015, which starred Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel.
With Super Bowl Sunday set for Feb. 13, teasers for the commercials set to show at this year’s event are premiering left and right. From Kevin Hart assuming the role of Sam’s Club manager to a Mila Kunis and Demi Moore link-up for AT&T, brands across the board are bringing their A-game. And in an epic ad produced by Pepsi, 2022 half-time show performers Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre come together to make stadium-sized magic happen after each artist receives a call from Dre a la The Avengers. Whether the Cincinnati Bengals or the Los Angeles Rams take home the ring is uncertain; football fans on both sides of the aisle will have to wait for the big day. But for die-hard commercial lovers and celebrity watchers, seeing the full versions of these cinematic, comedic ads will feel like winning.