Disney's D23 Expo unveiled a brand new poster that celebrates three MCU superheroes. Fresh off exciting MCU announcements at July's San Diego Comic-Con, from David Jonsson's casting as the next Black Panther to Ryan Gosling entering the fray as Ghost Rider, Marvel Studios will deliver more updates very soon. As usual, studio head Kevin Feige will take to the stage at D23 Expo on the evening of Friday, August 14, to discuss the future of the MCU once more.
Disney officially released new promotional artwork for 2026's D23 Expo just days before the convention takes place in Anaheim, California. The poster celebrates franchises like Moana, The Simpsons, Frozen, Zootopia, Toy Story, Star Wars, and, of course, the Marvel universe, with three major superheroes featured.
Many will be happy to see the weather-bending mutant Storm making her presence known on Disney's D23 promo art, especially amid rising speculation that Marvel Studios will be announcing its X-Men reboot cast on Friday night. There haven't been quite as many reputable rumors and reports about Storm's casting, but some have theorized that she will debut in Black Panther 3, not X-Men.
However, it's important that fans don't take Storm's presence as an immediate sign that her casting will be announced at D23. Notably, her costume seems to be the same one from X-Men '97, which will debut its Season 2 finale on Wednesday, August 12, and is expected to return for Season 3 next year.
Directly beneath the X-Men's Goddess of Thunder, there is a Spider-Man swinging through the streets, just weeks after Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The inclusion is a strange one, as the MCU's live-action webbed blockbusters are distributed by Sony, and D23 is an expo for all things Disney.
While Kevin Feige will be eager to tout Brand New Day's record-breaking box office glory on the stage, as Marvel Studios co-produced the movie with Sony, there is unlikely to be anything said about Spider-Man 5. Instead, the studio could have updates or a trailer for fans of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, as Season 2 is still expected to premiere later this year on Disney+.
Marvel Studios chose one notable live-action superhero to represent the MCU: Vanessa Kirby's Sue Storm. The invisible matriarch of the Fantastic Four is gearing up for her second prominent MCU role in two years this December in Avengers: Doomsday, coming off her debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
The studio is reportedly already developing The Fantastic Four 2 for release after Avengers: Secret Wars in the MCU's third saga. However, the sequel is likely still some time away, and probably won't get its formal announcement at D23 as Marvel Studios instead focusses on its more imminent releases like Doomsday, Secret Wars, X-Men, Black Panther 3, and Ghost Rider.
D23 Expo begins on Friday, August 14, and continues through the weekend to Sunday, August 16, with the marquee Disney Entertainment Showcase taking place on the opening night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. PT in the Honda Center.
What Will Marvel Studios Announce at Disney's D23 Expo?
Unfortunately, given the troubles that have plagued Blade, Armor Wars, and other MCU projects that were undeniably announced too early, fans shouldn't expect any massive five-year slate reveal at D23. Instead, Marvel Studios will likely take things as it comes by only focussing on projects up to and including 2028.
The star of the show will undeniably be Avengers: Doomsday, with the Russo Brothers and Robert Downey Jr. appearing on stage to promote the Phase 6 event and reveal some new footage. But they may also have news to share about Secret Wars, as production must begin soon to maintain its December 2027 release date.
Beyond that, the studio will likely only discuss its first three Phase 7 movies, as those are all expected to release in 2028 and will need to shoot in the next year. Fans could expect a little more news on Black Panther 3 and Ghost Rider, but the biggest splash ought to be for the upcoming X-Men reboot.
Many were disappointed when Kevin Feige didn't have anything of note to say about the X-Men reboot last month at San Diego Comic-Con. It seems likely that was because Marvel Studios' Hall H panel landed a week before Spider-Man: Brand New Day hit theaters and unveiled Sadie Sink as the MCU's Jean Grey.
Now that Marvel Studios' X-Men era is truly underway, it may be time to bring Sink out on stage to officially announce who will join her in the Phase 7 blockbuster, directed by Jake Schreier. The announcements are bound to include Kit Connor as Cyclops and Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, possibly alongside castings for Beast, Ice Man, Angel, Professor X, Magneto, and Mr. Sinister.
Unfortunately, it's tough to imagine any brand new MCU Disney+ shows getting announced, as Marvel Television has been saving its updates and announcements for October's New York Comic-Con recently. However, as VisionQuest is set to premiere on October 14, it may be due for its first official trailer at D23.
