Mr. Peanut dies at 104 in heroic Super Bowl LIV ad: WATCH

Mr. Peanut is dead.

In an advertisement for Planters that the company unveiled Wednesday, the 104-year-old mascot dies while saving actor Wesley Snipes and comedian Matt Walsh. The trio is hanging precariously from a branch on the side of a cliff, according to the ad, when Mr. Peanut lets go to help Snipes and Walsh survive.

The footage shows the Nutmobile misadventure left the trio dangling from a tree branch that began to splinter from their combined weight. In the end, Mr. Peanut let go, sacrificing himself to save his companions.

Planters said the ad will air before Super Bowl LIV on Feb. 2, while a separate commercial during the third quarter will show Mr. Peanut’s funeral.

Planters

“He will be remembered as the legume who always brought people together for nutty adventures and a good time,” Planters brand manager Samantha Hess said in a statement.

“I’m thrilled to star alongside my pal MR. PEANUT,” said Walsh via statement. “I’ve starred in some nutty scenarios in the past, but I can assure our fans they haven’t seen anything like our Super Bowl journey!”

The advertisement appeared to serve its role Wednesday, as “Mr. Peanut” and “RIPeanut” were among the top nationwide trends on Twitter as of early Wednesday afternoon. The mascot’s Twitter account has also been changed from Mr. Peanut to “The Estate of Mr. Peanut,” accompanied by the image of a teardrop falling from his iconic monocle.

This will be the second consecutive year that Planters, a division of Kraft Heinz, advertises during the Super Bowl. Last year’s commercial featured Mr. Peanut and Alex Rodriguez. The going rate for a 30-second time slot during this year’s Super Bowl broadcast on Fox was between $5 million and $5.6 million.

According to Deadline.com: “Mr. Peanut was introduced in 1916 and kept smiling through two World Wars, the Depression, and the horrific white mold rot crisis of 2012 that threatened his kind. Mr. Peanut’s death reduces the number of monocle-wearing mascots in pop culture to two: the Monopoly tycoon and Eustace Tilly of The New Yorker.”

The Twittersphere — including the Chicago Bears, Skippy Peanut Butter and Georgia Tech — was quick to respond Wednesday with tributes and “condolences.”

Fans can celebrate the life of Mr. Peanut in several “official ways”:

• Show just how much the legume meant to you by sharing the commemorative monocle image and using #RIPeanut on social media
• From Jan. 24 - 27, fans can win commemorative packaging showcasing the legendary legume (while supplies last). Visit MR. PEANUT on Twitter to learn more.

Read more at usatoday.com; Contributing: Sun-Times staff reporter Miriam Di Nunzio