Peter Dinklage Transforms Into a Hero in Trailer for ‘The Toxic Avenger’

June 21, 2025

25

How many freak accidents transform normal people into mutant vigilantes in fictional universes? This often happens, actually, in comic books and superhero films, for example, where regular, everyday folks accidentally find themselves with some sort of superpower after coming in contact with spiders, toxic liquid, etc. First, they’re in denial, trying to force themselves into believing that nothing happened. Then, it’s time to use those new powers for good or bad. It’s no different for Peter Dinklage‘s character in The Toxic Avenger, where his normal life turns into something much different than he’d ever imagined. The exclusive Red Band trailer for the remake of the 1984 film of the same name was released on June 20, and it’s already a trending topic.

The two-minute and forty-two-second trailer dropped on IGN’s YouTube channel and opened with what the narrator described as “armed political extremists” who held people hostage in a restaurant named Miss Meats. The scene then cuts to a woman screaming, “Somebody do something!” and, after short clips of customer reactions inside the restaurant, viewers see a shadow of Toxie with his weapon, who yells, via narration, “WAIT! Wait! Stop, we’ll get to all that. Just relax, okay?” Viewers then see a tired Winston Gooze (aka Toxie) lying on his bed as he explains the relationship between him and his son, Wade Gooze, after the loss of his wife/ Wade’s mom, Shelly.

The ‘Game of Thrones’ star is completely unrecognizable in the first-look images.

That scene is followed by a close-up of burnt toast and Wade questioning why his father didn’t help a woman whose pet was thrown out of a car window. Winston replies, “Sometimes it’s better to do nothing,” but in his heart, he knows that’s not true and wants to fix his relationship with his son. After a freak accident, Winston transforms into a mutant vigilante known as Toxie. Armed with his mop, he battles bad guys in a gory way. Set to release on August 29, 2025, the film stars Dinklage as Winston Gooze / The Toxic Avenger, Jacob Tremblay as Wade Gooze, Taylour Paige as J.J. Doherty (investigative journalist, part vigilante detective), Kevin Bacon as Bob Garbinger (the head of a corrupt company), Elijah Wood as Fritz Garbinger, and more. IGN’s description of the movie reads:

When a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze, is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he’s transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger. Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community. In a world where greed runs rampant… justice is best served radioactive.

‘The Toxic Avenger’ Premiered at Fantastic Fest in 2023

peter dinklage toxic avenger legendary — Legendary Pictures

Almost two years after The Toxic Avenger premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 21, 2023, movie lovers in the United States will see the film and all its gore in theaters in August. Written and directed by Macon Blair (I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore, Small Crimes), The Toxic Avenger has a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s distributed by Cineverse and Iconic Events Releasing and has a runtime of 102 minutes.

Source: IGN’s YouTube