While Ms. Marvel's main goal was to introduce fans to a thrilling new character in Kamala Khan, it also revealed an event that fans are dying to see brought to life in the real world. That event was AvengerCon - a celebration for Earth's Mightiest Heroes at New Jersey's Camp Lehigh that Kamala and her best friend Bruno snuck out to visit in Ms. Marvel's debut episode.
AvengerCon featured anything that Avengers fans in and out of the MCU could dream of, with booths and exhibits that pay tribute to the MCU's icons all over the convention. This gave dozens of heroes the opportunity to be referenced in Episode 1, providing the series more MCU connections than any Disney+ show to date.
Now that fans have seen this kind of event in the MCU itself, the questions now turn to whether Marvel and Disney will ever take AvengerCon from the small screen to the real world. Well, that time may not be as far away as many expect, as the 2022 D23 Fan Expo preps to open this coming weekend.
AvengerCon Coming to D23?
The official Marvel website announced the studio's plans for fan events at the 2022 D23 Fan Expo, which will take place from Friday, September 9 to Sunday, September 11.
This includes the "THINGS HULK SMASHED” display, which will showcase "a bunch of things" that Bruce Banner's angry alter-ego has destroyed in the MCU while also serving as a photo opportunity for visiting fans:
"If you weren’t able to make it to AvengerCon this year, the Marvel Studios booth has you covered. The wildly popular display “THINGS HULK SMASHED” will be making its way to D23 Expo in case you’ve ever wanted to see a bunch of things that Hulk has smashed! Be sure and stop by to snap a pic in the photo opp."
This exact Hulk-centric display was featured at the fictional MCU AvengerCon during Ms. Marvel's premiere episode. During the convention montage, Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan and Matt Lintz's Bruno Carelli visit the display, with Kamala seen swinging a hammer down on a strength tester game in front of Hulk's giant fist:
There are also more than a dozen other presentations scheduled for the rest of the weekend, such as merchandise signings and individual presentations. Multiple creators and MCU personnel will be in attendance to give fans opportunities for interactions tying back to the Multiverse Saga's first set of movies and TV shows.
The full list of events and times can be seen below:
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Thor: Love & Thunder | 11:00am Presentation / 11:30am Signing
Presenters: Andy Park, Jana Schirmer, John Staub
Marvel Studios Visual Development artists discuss the behind-the-scenes process of developing concept art for Thor: Love and Thunder and sign an exclusive poster.
WandaVision VFX Presentation | 1:00pm
VFX Presentation with James Alexander and Tara DeMarco
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | 2:00pm Presentation / 2:30pm Signing
Presenters: Ian Joyner, Andy Park, John Staub, Jana Schirmer
Marvel Studios Visual Development artists discuss the behind-the-scenes process of developing concept art for Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and sign an exclusive poster.
Find the Variant Game | 3:30pm
Marvel Studios Trivia | 5:00pm
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
Ms. Marvel + She-Hulk | 11:00am Presentation / 11:30am Signing
Presenters: Jackson Sze, Jana Schirmer, Mushk Rizvi
Marvel Studios Visual Development artists discuss the behind-the-scenes process of developing concept art for Ms. Marvel and sign an exclusive She-Hulk poster.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Sizzle/Q&A at 1:00pm / 1:30pm Signing
Signing with Ryan Meinerding, Wes Burt, Josh Shaw
Marvel Studios Visual Development artists premiere an exclusive concept art poster for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Ms. Marvel Filmmaker Presentation | 2:30pm
Chat with Sana Amanat
Find the Variant Game | 3:30pm
Marvel Studios Trivia | 5:00pm
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Marvel Studios Archives & Costume Reveal | 9:30am
We hear from Wendy Craig about her role at Marvel Studios and reveal costumes from an upcoming Marvel Studios title.
Moon Knight | 11:00am Presentation / 11:30am Signing
Presenters: Rodney Fuentebella, Ryan Meinerding, Mike Uwandi
Marvel Studios Visual Development artists discuss the behind-the-scenes process of developing concept art for Moon Knight and sign an exclusive poster.
Unscripted Content Presentation | 1:30pm
We hear from Jeff Redmond and Lauren Goralski about their roles at Marvel Studios.
Find the Variant Game | 2:30pm
Marvel Studios Trivia | 4:00pm
D23 Fans Get to Experience Real-World AvengerCon
Once Ms. Marvel introduced AvengerCon into the MCU, fans immediately began wondering what a real-world version of that event could actually deliver for those who have loved the MCU for more than 14 years. Well, it appears that D23 is attempting the first take on this gathering for its visitors, with over a dozen impressive events for the fandom to enjoy in person.
The Hulk-centric event should give fans a wonderful chance to dive deeper into the angry green Avenger's history, especially with She-Hulk: Attorney at Law streaming on Disney+. This is an especially important inclusion since Universal still owns the character's distribution rights, although fans are hopeful that this may change over the next couple of years, as well.
Along with the major panels that will showcase everything that Marvel and Star Wars have planned in the coming years, this take on AvengerCon will give fans the full MCU experience with interactive events and insight from the franchise's recent creators. And the best part is that this is only a taste of what an AvengerCon-only event could bring, as this will be just one part of everything that will be highlighted at Disney's bi-annual fan convention.
As Phase 4 comes to an end this year, this take on AvengerCon will be able to highlight nearly three dozen MCU entries that will have premiered by the time Black Panther: Wakanda Forever comes to theaters. That number will only grow as the 2020s move forward, opening up countless opportunities for MCU fans to take part in new events like this one over the years.
The 2022 D23 Fan Expo officially begins in Anaheim, California on Friday, September 9.
