Entertainment

This ‘Incredibles 2’ Teaser Brings Back Your Favorite Superhero Family

by Sophy Ziss

Hold on to your supersuits: Pixar has released the first teaser trailer for The Incredibles 2. The studio has long been secretive about the highly anticipated sequel to The Incredibles, making available little more information than the film's June 15, 2018 release date. So, Pixar releasing the first teaser trailer for The Incredibles 2 finally offers fans a glimpse of what to expect from the film. Fortunately, the newest member of the super-family — baby Jack-Jack Parr — is back. It also looks like he's starting to get a grip on his own super powers, but anxious babysitter Kari is nowhere to be found. (Good for her — she deserved a break after everything that kid put her through in The Incredibles "Jack-Jack Attack" short.)

In the new teaser, Jack-Jack is seen stumbling around an Incredibles-themed grotto, gleefully shooting lasers from his eyes. He wanders around the room giggling, enjoying his own unpredictable powers, before artfully cutting through the original Incredibles logo to make it sequel-appropriate. By the time his father scoops him up, he's overjoyed to find his infant son has the family's abilities — but what happens next surprises them both.

Take a look at the teaser trailer for The Incredibles 2:

The Incredibles 2 will pick up where The Incredibles left off more than 13 years prior. However, it's now Mr. Incredible's turn to stay at home with the family, while mom Elastigirl will take the spotlight. This transition strains the family, as Mr. Incredible must "navigate the day-to-day heroics of normal life," according to a press release, while Elastigirl adjusts to her role as family provider. Plus, they have three kids: Moody teen Violet is back, the maniacal Dash is still zooming around, and then there's baby Jack-Jack to contend with. By the end of the first Incredibles film, audiences knew something that the Parr family didn't — that the baby has powers, perhaps stronger and greater in number than anyone else in the family. As evidenced by the trailer, it's only a matter of time before Mr. Incredible finds out that his youngest is just like him. No chance that will go poorly.

The family's day-to-day life will be upended once again when a new villain "hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot" that threatens the citizens of Metroville. The Parr family, together known as The Incredibles, will have to unite to defeat the villain. As usual, that's easier said than done. They won't be alone, though; Pixar announced that superpal Frozone will also be back for The Incredibles 2. Brad Bird, who helped The Incredibles win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, is returning to direct.

Even today, The Incredibles resonates with viewers. On the surface, it's an animated superhero movie for kids. If you've watched it once, though, then you know it's infinitely more nuanced than that. The Incredibles deconstructs the superhero film, but also the superhero as we know it; for the first time, fans were able to see a softer, insecure, and deeply relatable side of larger-than-life characters. Though an animated, life-saving family, there was something so distinctly human about the Parrs. Violet was an angsty, anxious, ad kindhearted teenager. Dash was an excitable, active kid. Mr. and Mrs. Parr had a believable relationship dynamic, even as former superheroes condemned to live a mundane life. Feminist, tough, and fair, Mrs. Parr wasn't about to leave saving the world to the men — and was prepared to help her husband confront his own weaknesses in a gentle, encouraging way.

At the heart of The Incredibles were messages of love and acceptance, such as embrace yourself for who you are, don't be afraid to ask for help, it's OK to feel imperfect, and you're much stronger than you realize. As much as it's an action-packed kids' movie, The Incredibles was a lighthearted, honest, and funny portrayal of what it means to be a family. There aren't many Pixar films that would have their first sequel released more than a decade after its original. The Incredibles was special, though, and The Incredibles 2 already sounds legendary.