Marvel Studios' massive panel showcases are infamous; there's nothing more exciting for an MCU fan than when studio president Kevin Feige stands before a crowd to reveal the future of the MCU. San Diego Comic-Con 2019 was a major one for the studio, as Feige announced an expansive Phase 4 slate, but except for Mahershala Ali's Blade, all those projects have now been released.
Later in 2019, Marvel Studios returned to Disney's D23 event to announce Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk. Due to the pandemic, D23 was the last time Feige was able to hold a major in-person panel, with recent reveals being limited to digital events such as Disney+ Day and the House of Mouse's Investor Day.
There are still plenty of projects on the cards for the future of the MCU on Disney+, but next July's The Marvels will mark the end of the currently announced theatrical slate. As such, Feige is expected to make waves at Marvel Studios' Hall H mega-panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, July 23.
But what big-screen blockbusters and Disney+ adventures will Feige finally announce? Will the Marvel Studios president have big news to offer about the projects that are already out in the open? Here are 27 announcements Marvel Studios may deliver at this year's San Diego Comic-Con panel.
Safe Bets
Black Panther 2 Reveals First Look
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now well into the rearview mirror, and by the time San Diego Comic-Con rolls around, Thor: Love and Thunder will be as well. This leaves Disney's marketing slate open to begin the push for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and its first trailer may well arrive during the Marvel Studios panel, especially since the sequel has been promised to make "big waves" at the event.
Although San Diego Comic-Con takes place the weekend of July 21, placing it just under 113 days before Black Panther 2 hits theaters. Thor 4 only released its first trailer 81 days prior to release. So while footage being shown is a no-brainer, there's every chance it remains exclusive to panel attendees for at least a few weeks.
Who knows just how secretive Marvel Studios will be with Wakanda Forever and its all-but-confirmed introduction of Namor and Atlantis to the MCU? But the chances are high that Kevin Feige will bring Tenoch Huerta out on stage to officially announce him as the MCU's Namor, as has been heavily rumored for some time.
She-Hulk Drops Another Teaser
By the time Comic-Con starts, Thor 4 will already be in theaters, and Ms. Marvel's finale will already be weeks in the past. So, attention will be turning to Marvel Studios' next release, She-Hulk, which hits Disney+ on August 17; this will open the doors to the series having a major presence during the panel.
Attendees ought to see a new trailer for the legal comedy, but like Black Panther 2, there's no telling whether that will go public. Many will be hoping to see Charlie Cox's Daredevil in the footage since Matt Murdock has been widely reported to be appearing in both a legal and heroic capacity for some time now. But perhaps Feige still wants to keep his involvement a surprise.
Werewolf by Night Finally Announced
Marvel Studios has always had secrets as a major part of its brand, but Werewolf by Night is one of the more curious cases. The Disney+ Halloween Special has already got a cast that reportedly includes Gael Garcia Bernal as leading character Jack Russell, Laura Donnelly as Elsa Bloodstone, and Man-Thing, with composer Michael Giacchino in the director's chair.
Werewolf by Night has already been filmed, had casting confirmed by major outlets, and it's set for a Halloween 2022 Disney+ premiere, all with no usual fanfare announcement. With the release just three months away, there's almost no doubt the special will finally be announced at Comic-Con with the cast out on stage, and footage shown to attendees.
Blade Gets an Update
Kevin Feige brought Mahershala Ali out at Comic-Con 2019 to drop the surprise announcement of Blade being in development at Marvel Studios. In the three years since then, updates have been scarce, but Bassam Tariq is signed on to direct, the script appears to be done, and shooting looks to be set for this October.
Although there will be no trailer to screen at this panel, the cast may come out on stage to deliver a release date, concept art, and perhaps even a few surprise announcements - fans can only dream of a cameo from Jared Leto's Morbius.
What If...? Returns with Footage
Marvel Studios has been staying quiet when it comes to What If...? Season 2, but reports still suggest it will premiere by the end of the year. The studio has already promised to be holding a panel centered around its animation projects, including the anthology series. So, a trailer will almost certainly be shown to those present at the panel, revealing the first peek at the next batch of alternate reality scenarios and likely teasing the involvement of some Phase 4 projects.
Marvel Studios Animation Reveals Previews
On top of What If...?, Marvel Studios has three other animated series in the works: X-Men '97, Spider-Man: Freshman Year, and Marvel Zombies. The projects were all announced last Disney+ Day and news remains vague. The undead epic and mutant revival have been confirmed to reveal exclusive looks, which probably entails concept art, some footage, and perhaps release dates.
Likely
Ant-Man 3 and The Marvels Showcase Trailers
Comic-Con is always home to plenty of exclusive new footage, but it's usually rare for much of that footage to appear online officially. Marvel Studios often shows clips from its upcoming projects at the event, so there's a high chance that attendees will be the first to catch a peek at Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels, which are set for release in February and July 2023, respectively.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Deliver Footage
James Gunn already teased there will be a presence from his upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy projects at Comic-Con, but there's currently no telling to what extent this will be. With The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special coming this year and Vol. 3 in May 2023, perhaps attendees may be treated to some clips or behind-the-scenes footage from one or both. The director may even reveal Chukwudi Iwuji's rumored villain The High Evolutionary, or Rocket's reported new love interest Lylla, a talking otter.
Fantastic 4 Gets an Update
Disney completed its acquisition of Fox in 2019, and yet it's only just beginning to utilize the X-Men and Fantastic Four, with Reed Richards and Charles Xavier both appearing in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. A Fantastic Four reboot was in development under Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts, but he recently departed the project, leaving directing duties open. Now, there's every chance the panel will deliver an update on when filming will begin or a release window.
Echo Shows a Preview
Either Echo or Secret Invasion appear poised to be the first Disney+ series of 2023 and the MCU's next live-action series after this summer's She-Hulk. With both projects having completed plenty of filming, chances are they each have a presence. Since The Hollywood Reporter just confirmed the significant involvement of Daredevil and Kingpin in Echo, perhaps that will be made official during the panel alongside an attendee-exclusive trailer.
Secret Invasion Delivers News
Secret Invasion looks to be in a far more complicated position than Echo; despite having wrapped, the Skrull-centric series is poised to undergo a whopping four months of reshoots this year. Since that implies drastic changes to the show and plot, there's unlikely to be much footage to show. But maybe the cast will come out on stage and fans will finally discover the identity of Emilia Clarke and Olivia Coleman's secretive roles.
Captain America 4 Goes Official
Following The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson is now firmly in place as the MCU's Captain America. Mackie has already been confirmed to lead Captain America 4 in the near future, with Disney+ writer Malcolm Spellman onboard for the script, and Julius Onah directing. Fans can be safe in hoping this sequel will finally be announced at Comic-Con with a title, release date, and possibly even some casting news - namely the return of Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier.
Thunderbolts Gets Announced
The Thunderbolts - effectively Marvel's Suicide Squad - have been a point of discussion for a long time, with many believing the MCU was heading down that path. Now, a Thunderbolts movie has been confirmed, Jake Schreier is on board to direct, and Black Widow co-writer Eric Pearson is penning the script, with plans to shoot in 2023. Given the accelerated development, Feige ought to give Thunderbolts an official release date at the panel, while possibly confirming some villains involved.
Ryan Reynolds Takes the Stage
Recent months have seen a huge uptick in news regarding the development of Deadpool 3, with the writers behind the first two films returning, and Free Guy director Shawn Levy taking charge. Production preparation is reportedly underway, indicating shooting ought to begin in the coming months, likely for a 2024 release. With all these developments, Comic-Con may be the place Feige formally addresses the film, confirms a release date, and almost certainly brings Ryan Reynolds out on stage.
Another Crazy Casting Announcement
Even though most of 2019's Comic-Con reveals had been rumored or leaked before the panel, Feige delivered a shocking revelation in the final moments as he brought Mahershala Ali along to confirm Blade. After the reactions that were achieved, he may seek to do the same for 2022 with another jaw-dropping hero casting such as Wolverine or Ghost Rider - for which Taron Egerton and Norman Reedus have respectively been heavily discussed.
50/50
Avengers 5 Goes Official
With a whole new saga underway following Endgame, fans are naturally eager to see where this new era of the MCU is heading, naturally being Avengers 5. Whether that culmination point is Secret Wars or not, Feige out to offer more clues as he teased that there will soon be a clearer idea of "where this whole saga is going:"
“I think there have been many clues already, that are at least apparent to me, of where this whole saga is going. But we’ll be a little more direct about that in the coming months, to set a plan, so audiences who want to see the bigger picture can see a tiny, tiny, tiny bit more of the roadmap.”
If Avengers 5 does finally become official, as is highly likely, it will probably come with a far-away release date, and a rough idea of what it will be about, just to offer audiences a general idea of where Phase 4 is ultimately building toward.
2023 Disney+ Series Make Announcements
Ironheart, Armor Wars, and Agatha: House of Harkness are all set for release across 2023 and 2024, but none have filmed enough to show any footage at the panel. If these shows are present at all, their involvement will be minimal, likely limited to bringing the cast out on stage and delivering a few minor teases to raise anticipation.
Jonathon Majors' Kang the Conqueror Unveiled
Jonathon Majors made his MCU debut as He Who Remains in Loki, and he will soon suit up as the villainous Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While the odds are high that the shrinking sequel will premiere footage, it's far less likely that Kang and his live-action suit will be featured, despite a recent leak. But perhaps there will be some concept art to show.
Introducing the X-Men
Since Fox's X-Men franchise began going downhill, Marvel fans have been eagerly awaiting a mutant reboot in the MCU, and Comic-Con may be the time news finally arrives. Kevin Feige confirmed the studio was working on the X-Men back at 2019's panel, so perhaps they may finally now have a film or series to announce with a rough release window. At the time of the last news, the reboot was working under the title of "The Mutants."
New Heroes Take the Streaming Spotlight
Over recent months and years, Disney+ series have been all-but-confirmed to be in development for Daredevil, Wonder Man, and Nova. Matt Corman and Chris Ord are currently writing the Daredevil revival; Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton is working on Wonder Man; Nova is far more up in the air with less definitive news, but something appears to be in the works. There's a chance these series may be announced at Comic-Con, but could equally be saved for Disney+ Day or D23 in September.
Blockbusters Get Disney+ Spin-Offs
On top of the previously discussed new heroes coming to Disney+, spin-off series are in development for Wakanda and the Ten Rings. Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is working on his Wakanda project, while Shang-Chi's Destin Daniel Cretton is developing The Ten Rings - which will presumably center around Meng'er Zhang's Xialing. Both of these series have been in the works for a while, so, maybe they will finally be unveiled this year with confirmation of their stars.
Where Does Phase 4 End?
Marvel Studios has already released 12 projects in Phase 4 - six films and six series - making it the longest block in the MCU yet. For now, Kevin Feige has yet to define where Phase 4 ends and Phase 5 begins, but perhaps Comic-Con may be the time when that finally becomes clear as the current chapter comes to a close, possibly being the first not to include an Avengers blockbuster.
Wild Picks
Fantastic 4 Cast and Director
After losing Spider-Man director Jon Watts, Marvel Studios is searching for a "big name" replacement filmmaker amid various casting rumors. There's every chance Comic-Con may be the place fans discover Fantastic Four's replacement director and cast, but with Watts' departure still being so fresh, that information is more likely to come later in the year at D23 in advance of filming.
Marvel Studios Goes Big on Sequels
After finding success with Black Widow, Shang-Chi, Doctor Strange 2, and Eternals, sequels will almost certainly be in the works for each. But since even the oldest of these films is only a year old, these follow-ups may be too early into development for an official announcement. Of course, that's not to say it's impossible, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was announced before the first was even released, so perhaps there will be some vague news to confirm sequels are in the works.
Disney+ Shows Announce Season 2
On the topic of follow-ups, Marvel Studios may finally announce second seasons for some of its Disney+ series. Moon Knight is still being pushed in the "Outstanding Limited Series" category at the Emmy Awards, making any Egyptian news rather unlikely. But Hawkeye recently switched its category to "Outstanding Comedy Series," potentially indicating Season 2 may be in the works. Ms. Marvel will probably be too fresh from its Season 1 finale for any announcements, leaving Hawkeye as the only plausible contender for a Season 2 reveal.
Scarlet Witch Finally Goes Solo
Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch continues to be among the most popular characters in the MCU - even with her heroic status gone after Multiverse of Madness. Despite Wanda's apparent death in the final moments of the Doctor Strange sequel, many are still convinced she is alive and has a solo project on the way. There's every chance this may be the case, but her death is still too fresh to announce her own film and undermine her recent sacrifice.
New Teams Get a Name Drop
As Marvel Studios continues to introduce new heroes with every new project, speculation is rife as to what teams may be coming to the MCU in the future. With so many young heroes and supernatural characters being introduced, the Young Avengers and Midnight Sons are continually topping that discussion. While it may be too soon to expect projects centered around these teams, Kevin Feige could namedrop either to let fans know they are on the way down the line.
Make Sure to Manage Expectations
Fans should not expect to hear anything about the future of Spider-Man. The wall-crawler remains firmly in the hands of Sony, meaning any announcements regarding Spider-Man 4 and the villainous spin-offs ought to be held at one of its own panels - not to mention Tom Holland is reportedly still yet to renew his contract for more appearances.
With regard to all major panels, fans should go into the event with managed expectations. Marvel Studios isn't even going to reveal everything coming in the next few years, as it preserves some announcements for Disney+ Day and Disney's D23 panel in September.
Looking back to 2019, Feige revealed the majority of Phase 4's early projects at Comic-Con, then added a few additional series at D23, while revealing major casting and new details on previously announced ventures. If a similar theme is showcased this year, fans will be in for a treat at the panel this month.
Marvel Studios' San Diego Comic-Con panel will take place on Saturday, July 23; an animation-focussed panel will be held on Friday, July 22 at 11:45 am PT. Neither event is expected to be live-streamed online.
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