Who Is In Paramount+'s Hilarious Super Bowl Commercial & What The Heck Is Going On?

If you thought "Avengers: Endgame" was the most ambitious crossover of all time, you need to take a look at the 2024 Super Bowl commercial for Paramount+. The streamer pulled out all the stops, getting faces from virtually every sector of pop culture to come together for a singular noble goal — to throw a child toward a mountain.

Some context: a group of famous folks related to Paramount properties are trying to traverse a mountain. Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa can't throw a grappling hook high enough but could be successful if he had a football. Patrick Stewart, playing a version of himself that's a far cry from the normally level-headed Captain Picard on "Star Trek," suggests throwing someone with a football head up the mountain instead. Of course, that would be Arnold from Nickelodeon's "Hey Arnold!"

Drew Barrymore is the only one with some sense, reasonably suggesting they shouldn't throw a kid. But Stewart's egged on by Lieutenant Dangle (Thomas Lennon) from "Reno 911!" and Knuckles (Idris Elba) from "Sonic the Hedgehog 2." Other people standing around include Jeff Probst (host of "Survivor"), Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) from "Halo," Peppa Pig, and Dora the Explorer. 

Honestly, that would've been enough for one commercial, but things kick into high gear when Stewart says he'll toss Arnold himself, donning an old-school leatherhead uniform, and the band Creed shows up to perform their hit song, "Higher." Stewart kisses Arnold gently on the forehead before sending him to his destiny. Without hyperbole, this might be the greatest Super Bowl commercial of all time. 

The Paramount+ Super Bowl ad feels like the payoff to a 30-year joke. Arnold was the source of much disdain from Helga Pataki on "Hey Arnold," and her infamous nickname for her hidden beloved was "Football head." We're honestly just surprised it took this long for someone to realize Arnold should be used as a literal football at some point. 

Even Creed's appearance isn't as random as it might seem at first glance. Creed performed at a football halftime show on November 22, 2001, performing various hit songs, including "Higher." The show has since entered "meme" status, as people will bring it up every so often to either talk about how it was unironically cool or genuinely off-kilter. The most notable detail here is that the band had aerialists flying through the air during "Higher." In a way, the Paramount+ Super Bowl commercial feels like an homage to that halftime show with Arnold now the one flying through the air while singer Scott Stapp gives it his all. 

Honestly, this ad is jam-packed with jokes and references, with a new one popping up every couple of seconds, from Lt. Dangle sporting a Creed tramp stamp to Patrick Stewart mixing up his sports metaphors. A two-minute commercial might sound like it would be a slog to get through, but this ad doesn't waste any of its runtime. It's pure chaos, and we wouldn't have it any other way.