Lewis Pullman and Kurt Russell in Michelob Ultra's 2026 Super Bowl ad. Michelob Ultra Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment If you're a major consumer brand, and you want to use the Super Bowl to launch an action-packed commercial with blockbuster stars and Olympic athletes, who better to lead the charge than Joseph Kosinski, the director of Top Gun: Maverick and F1? Kosinski is the director of the beer brand Michelob Ultra's new Super Bowl spot, which stars Kurt Russell (Escape From New York, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) and Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick, Thunderbolts). Pullman plays "Greg," an amateur skier whose lack of skills sees him buying every round at the après-ski activities. Russell plays a mysterious stranger who turns his fortune around, joined by Olympians Chloe Kim and T.J. Oshie. Related Stories TV Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos Continue Their Cinematic Partnership With Bold Super Bowl Ad (Exclusive) TV Hellmann's Bets That Some Lonely Island Magic (and Elle Fanning) Can Deliver Super Bowl Results In case you are wondering, Kosinski (taking a cue from his films) shot on a real mountain. "It's interesting as the world goes more tech and more AI forward, we actually went to a real mountain with real snow and real trees to shoot the spot, which presents its own challenges," says Ricardo Marques, VP of marketing for Michelob Ultra, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "But that's what I like about it, the craftsmanship, the attention to detail that went behind this story, and again, the fact that it is an entertaining, relatable story that everybody will enjoy." The Super Bowl is the biggest canvas in the world for marketers, and this year it is being amplified by the fact that the game coincides with the start of the Winter Olympics, with both events being televised by NBC. That led to the skiing creative in the spot. "The opportunity that we saw when we looked at the Super Bowl this year is the fact that we have this for the two worlds colliding, the Winter Olympics and Super Bowl, right? So that was the creative spark for the this year's spot," Marques says. "In addition to staying consistent with our Play for an Ultra idea, we looked at a number of different ideas, a number of different concepts over a multi month process, and ultimately, when we landed on the winning script, the focus was in bringing the very best talent behind and in front of the camera." And while last year's Play for an Ultra spot leaned into slapstick sports comedy in a pickleball-themed ad starring Catherine O'Hara and Willem Dafoe, this year's spot is a bit lighter on the comedy, but with more action. "It is relatable. It is aligned with this idea that friends, pushing each other, competing for Ultras. They celebrate with Ultras at that après-ski moment at the bar," Marques says. "It is relatable as a story and then we are bringing, of course, the humor and top talent to bring the story to life in a unique way." THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Heat Vision 'Wonder Man' Stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Ben Kingsley Share Secrets Behind Their Chemistry During Lively Heat Vision Live Screening Live Feed 'Bluey' Defeats 'Stranger Things,' Everything Else to Retain Title as Most Streamed Show in 2025 Live Feed 'Paradise' Trailer: Sterling K. Brown Journeys Above to Find His Wife in Season 2 Mattel Mattel Plans "Bold" New Thomas the Tank Engine in Franchise Relaunch Live Feed 'Survivor 50': Jeff Probst Reveals Casting Secrets and Challenges That May Return for Landmark Season Emmys 2026 TV Academy Merges Scripted Variety and Talk Series Emmys Categories, Creates Pathway to Multiple Winners Heat Vision 'Wonder Man' Stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Ben Kingsley Share Secrets Behind Their Chemistry During Lively Heat Vision Live Screening Live Feed 'Bluey' Defeats 'Stranger Things,' Everything Else to Retain Title as Most Streamed Show in 2025 Live Feed 'Paradise' Trailer: Sterling K. Brown Journeys Above to Find His Wife in Season 2 Mattel Mattel Plans "Bold" New Thomas the Tank Engine in Franchise Relaunch Live Feed 'Survivor 50': Jeff Probst Reveals Casting Secrets and Challenges That May Return for Landmark Season Emmys 2026 TV Academy Merges Scripted Variety and Talk Series Emmys Categories, Creates Pathway to Multiple Winners