Elon Musk has spent years building a public image somewhere between tech visionary, billionaire disruptor, and real-life superhero. Now, Alex Gibney’s upcoming documentary Musk appears ready to ask a far less flattering question: is he a groundbreaking genius or a billionaire who has gone dangerously off course?

The documentary’s new teaser makes that question impossible to ignore. Built almost entirely around spectacular SpaceX rocket footage, the 48-second clip mirrors Musk’s own trajectory, moving from triumphant liftoffs and glowing praise to instability, destruction, and accusations that he has “lost his mind.”

The teaser wastes little time establishing its central conflict. It opens with rockets blasting into the sky as voices describe Musk as “possibly the greatest living inventor,” a “real-life Iron Man,” and one of the greatest builders and capitalists in history. Then everything starts to wobble - literally.

As the rocket footage becomes increasingly unstable and eventually turns toward a fiery crash, the narration takes a dramatic turn. Musk is described as “chaotic, random, capricious,” while other voices call him a man who has “lost his mind” and even label him a “f*****.”

The sequence culminates with a spacecraft exploding into a massive fireball as the chilling declaration, “Elon is a nuke,” plays over the destruction. Another title card brands him “Earth’s most unchecked man.”

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The result is less a conventional documentary trailer than a cinematic metaphor: rise, instability, collapse.

After years of detailed production that expanded to capture Musk’s rapidly changing world, Musk is finally heading to the big screen. The documentary will have its world premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival before making its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Following its festival run, Bleecker Street will release Musk theatrically across North America on October 16, 2026. International theatrical distribution will be handled by Universal Pictures Content Group, with releases across Europe, Asia, and Latin America expected throughout autumn 2026.

At 232 minutes, nearly four hours, the documentary is an ambitious deep dive into Musk’s life, career, influence, and controversies. The film also includes a brief theatrical intermission. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, Musk promises an expansive examination of one of the most influential and controversial figures of the modern tech era. With extensive archival footage, insider interviews, and real-time coverage, the film aims to explore the man behind the mythology.

For audiences, the biggest question may be whether Musk ultimately sees its subject as a visionary who changed the world or a powerful figure whose unchecked influence has become a threat.

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Will you watch Musk when it hits theaters on October 16? Let us know in the comments!