A trailer for Spaceballs: The New One debuted at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday. The upcoming April release promises to satirize modern franchises like Marvel and Star Wars.
Bill Pullman and Keke Palmer take on the Star Wars legacy
The first look at Spaceballs: The New One suggests the film will lean heavily into the tropes of the modern Star Wars era. According to the report, the trailer features Bill Pullman dressed as Han Solo from The Force Awakens and Keke Palmer portraying a character that riffs on Rey. The footage also includes a baby version of Pizza the Hutt and a scene where Dark Helmet is seen spying on a Na'vi from the Avatar franchise while wearing 3D glasses.
One of the most anticipated moments from the San Diego Comic-Con footage is a direct jab at the writing of the recent Star Wars sequels. The report says Dark Helmet delivers the line, "Somehow I've returned," a phrase that has become a meme among fans of the Disney-era Star Wars films for its perceived lack of narrative explanation.
The Spaceballs Cinematic Universe and the mockery of Hall H
Beyond the film's plot, the presentation at Hall H served as a meta-commentary on the current state of blockbuster filmmaking. The production team unveiled a fake "Spaceballs Cinematic Universe" (SCU) timeline, which the report says was designed to mirror the complex roadmaps Marvel Studios shared during their 2019 and 2022 panels. This satirical timeline includes a "Phase 2" consisting of Dark Helmet origin movies where the character grows younger with each installment.
The absurdity continues with a "Time Is A Flat Circle" section of the timeline, which teases a potential Spaceballs The Animated Series The Musical. Star and producer Josh Gad further pushed the envelope by joking about a Blade reboot, suggesting that a "really weird" version might actually be the only way the project ever reahes production.
From 1987's Star Trek riffs to the 2025 theater release
The return of Spaceballs after nearly 40 years comes at a time when the "cinematic universe" model has become the industry standard. The original 1987 film found its success by skewering the original Star Wars trilogy, but it also drew from Star Trek, Alien, and The Wizard of Oz. By expanding its targets to include the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Avatar, Spaceballs: The New One is updating its satirical lens for a generation raised on interconnected franchises .
This shift reflects a broader trend in comedy where the target is no longer just a single movie, but the corporate machinery of "content phases" and "brand ecosystems." The appearance of Rick Moranis on stage at San Diego Comic-Con signals a bridge between the original 1987 cast and the new additions like Keke Palmer, ensuring the film maintains its legacy while attacking new targets.
The missing online trailer and the fate of the Blade joke
Despite the excitement at the panel, several key pieces of information remain unavailable to the general public. As the report notes, the trailer shown at San Diego Comic-Con has not yet been released online, leaving fans to rely on descriptions of the footage. It remains unclear when the studio will officially drop the trailer for global audiences ahead of the April premiere.
Additionally, the joke regarding the Blade reboot highlights a point of contention within the fan community. While Josh Gad used the project as a punchline, the report mentions that Kevin Feige of Marvel Studios has made comments that lead some fans to believe the reboot is permanently stalled. Because the source only reports the perspectives from the Spaceballs panel, it remains to be seen if Marvel Studios will acknowledge the jab or if the film's humor will be viewed as too pointed given the production struggles of the actual Blade movie.
Comments 0