Before we show you this full poster, we just want to emphasize that we called Fox’s publicity department and confirmed with what sounded like a very put-upon intern that what you’re about to see is real. And we weren’t the only ones who called, either. Ready?
It looks pretty rough on first viewing, but take a closer look because it’s even worse than you think. We’re pretty sure the “ninjas” are either stock photos, taken from movies Fox actually owns, or actually have faces photoshopped into the eyeholes of the ninja masks. Even worse, the ninjas are just repeated over and over and over: The ninja to the left of Jackman is also the ninja in the upper right-hand corner, for example, just flipped.
But why, precisely, are they rushing out a poster? That’s the main question. Unlike X-Men Origins, by all accounts this shoot went smoothly. Filming wrapped in November, the movie is on track for a July release date, and the new trailer will be arriving Wednesday.
In addition, a bland but less goofy poster was released for international markets:
Come on, what was wrong with that one? Do ninjas sell better in the US?
Oh, well. Either way, this will still be better than X-Men Origins.