A fresh Bullet Train preview image gives action fans a closer look at Brad Pitt's protagonist, Ladybug, and his signature accessory. The film joins the recent slate of original action blockbusters like John Wick and Nobody, a fitting addition due to the original Wick's co-director David Leitch helming the controls of Bullet Train. It follows Pitt as Ladybug (a codename he despises), an aspiring ex-assassin, pulled back into the field for one last job, tasked with collecting a briefcase from a Japanese train. When he encounters other deadly professionals vying for the same objective, the quirky killer must avoid his terrible luck if he hopes to survive.
In a world of would-be Wick replacements and ripoffs like Gunpowder Milkshake or Atomic Blonde, Bullet Train looks to breathe some refreshing life into the hero-assassin action subgenre with a whimsical atmosphere and an off-beat main character navigating a rather sobering final assignment. Pitt's Ladybug looks like a tourist in an older image, carrying the film's MacGuffin (the briefcase in question) like a scared chihuahua. It would be easy to assume that Ladybug is anything but a trained killer, especially with his thick-rimmed glasses and bucket hat, accessories showcased in the newest preview image for the movie.
This exclusive image of Pitt comes via Fandango's Summer Movie Preview, showing off Pitt in his character's distinctive wardrobe as he stares curiously into a storage locker at something not quite clearly defined. The article highlights a ton of other summer action blockbusters (including Top Gun: Maverick and Jurassic World Dominion), particularly Ladybug's bucket hat in Bullet Train.
Interestingly, Bullet Train footage revealed at CinemaCon appears connected to this preview image. In the footage, Ladybug breaks into a locker at a train station and takes a gun before embarking on the titular train; the Fandango preview shows Pitt looking into what can be assumed is this very locker. And although fans have seen Pitt's unusual attire in previous images, this one epitomizes just how strange the character is supposed to be. With his cream-colored bucket hat, spectacles, and a coat suitable for a tenured librarian, Ladybug isn't your typical assassin/anti-hero. His gaze indicates a familiarity with what he may find in the locker, but it's a comical look nonetheless due to his wardrobe.
The image also perfectly captures the fun nature of Bullet Train, something previously lacking from the film in favor of a vicious and R-rated dynamic, similar to other contemporary action flicks with badass tentpole characters. If not for Ladybug's silly hat, thick glasses, and the purported comedy within its Jackie Chan-inspired fight scenes, Bullet Train would come across as just another John Wick copycat. Of course, the film's other characters have their peculiarities too, but it all does well to disguise the dangerous nature of their assassin abilities. Ladybug may wear a bucket hat and trench coat, but he's a killer, and fans will get to see just how well the character stands out among the pack this summer. -Collider
