Every year, new commercials go viral during the Super Bowl, and one particular spot caught the attention of sports fans this year. Fans watching the game were intrigued by the trailer for a new movie about Michael Jordan. Or, at least, Michael Jordan’s shoes.
Air, a new movie starring Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, the sneaker guru who signed Michael Jordan to his first Nike shoe deal, aired its trailer as a commercial during Super Bowl LVII on Sunday. The movie presents Nike signing Jordan as a big company risk, but one that ultimately paid off as Jordan exploded in popularity as a Nike athlete.
The trailer opens in 1984 after the company had a “tough year” and was looking for a breakthrough athlete. Then, Damon’s Vaccaro brings the idea of signing Jordan, who was about to leave North Carolina and enter the NBA.
Air also stars Ben Affleck as Nike founder Phil Knight, Viola Davis as Jordan’s mother, Deloris, and other famous actors such as Jason Bateman and Marlon Wayans. Affleck also directed the movie, while both Affleck and Damon served as producers.
The movie is set to premiere in theaters on April 5, but sports fans were able to get a first look this weekend. While the plot of Air centers around the creation of the famed Air Jordan sneakers, the character of Jordan himself didn’t appear in the trailer.
