SAN DIEGO — Marvel has already won Comic-Con with a raucous screening of “Deadpool & Wolverine” followed by a high-tech drone show and a new movie poised for one of the best openings of all time. So what’s in store for the victory lap?
The answer will be revealed at the highly anticipated Marvel Studios panel on Saturday night in Hall H of the San Diego Convention Center, which has been home to many of the pop culture conference’s biggest moments over the years. (Where did the original “Avengers” actors first meet? Yes, here.) Fans will see new footage from the upcoming “Captain America: Brave New World” and a trailer for the team-up film “Thunderbolts.” Marvel is teasing something about a “Fantastic Four” starring Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby, but the two “Avengers” movies are scheduled for release in 2026 and 2027. The news will undoubtedly get the 6,500-strong crowd cheering.
Let’s take a look at what’s to come in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Highlights from the presentation include:
Join the watch party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY movie and TV recommendations via email
Robert Downey Jr. returns to the MCU as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday
Kevin Feige said the Fantastic Four will appear in the next two Avengers movies, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. “Oh man, we missed you guys. You’re the best fans in the world,” says Joe Russo. Anthony says he thought “Avengers: Endgame” would be their last, but now “we see a path forward.”
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Director Joe Russo says “Avengers: Secret Wars” was inspired by “the biggest story in Marvel Comics history.” That’s the title of the 2027 “Avengers.” But the Russo brothers say they first need to introduce a new character called Doctor Doom. So the 2026 “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” became “Avengers: Doomsday.” Doom will be played by none other than Robert Downey Jr.!
“New mask, same job. I told you, I love playing complex characters,” Downey says.
Fantastic Four cast members appear on stage at Comic-Con
And then comes The Fantastic Four, a year later. Shooting begins in the UK on Tuesday, where director Matt Shakman is. “It’s still on its feet,” says Shakman, flying back from London. “We want it to be rooted in the comics, but also rooted in life,” he adds, to bring a real-world sense of science to Marvel’s First Family. They’re set in a retro-future 1920s New York, where “with the right heart and brain, you can do anything.” He teases a clip reel of nerdy Reed Richards, played by Pedro Pascal, and the rest of the team blasting off into space, along with a glimpse of the hulking Galactus peering through the skyscrapers.
The film has been retitled Fantastic Four: First Step and will feature the entire cast. (Surprise!) “A new family,” Pascal says of starring in the Marvel movie. “What people don’t know is that Matt and I have known each other for 25 years. He almost became my roommate in the ’90s.” Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays Ben Grimm (aka The Thing), says he received a sweet text message from Mark Ruffalo that “demystified the motion capture process.”
Joseph Quinn added, “This is a team sport and we’re all going to bring a sense of family to this,” while Vanessa Kirby said she laughed a lot in rehearsals and enjoyed the original, saying, “When you read the comics, it’s so much fun.” They also have a Fantasticar floating around the stage, which is pretty cool.
David Harbour appears as Red Guardian on ‘Thunderbolts’ talk show
Up next is Thunderbolts. David Harbour emerges from the crowd in a Red Guardian costume with a Russian accent. “Oh my God, why aren’t you all dressing up? When I sent the email, we all said we were going to dress up because it was Comic-Con!” a heartbroken Harbour tells his co-stars. (Julia Louis-Dreyfus dressed up because she’s a villain with nice clothes.) They won’t discuss the meaning of the asterisk in the title logo yet, but Sebastian Stan says Florence Pugh is the standout. “They don’t play well together,” Pugh says of the antihero-villain team dynamic. Hannah John-Kamen says a reprising her role as Ghost would be “interesting.”
Louis-Dreyfus explains that her character Valentina “want power and control and want to take down bad guys in the Marvel universe,” and Wyatt Russell, who reprises his role as John Walker (aka USA Agent), found the film “one of my favorite experiences.” Pugh praises the stunt team: “I think everyone is cool doing stunts, but I also love that they look cool sometimes.” She adds that the film is “so brilliant and weird,” before teasing the first trailer, which shows how a gang of bad guys form to deal with “bigger bad guys.”
Harrison Ford has a strong Hulk personality and wanted to star in an MCU action movie
They play some great “Brave New World” footage showcasing adamantium, the X-Men’s connection, and Ford’s character transforms into Red Hulk. Ford is here too, taking to the stage as if he’s the Hulk. He’s having so much fun. “I’m not going to make any references to current history,” he says of being president. “I’m happy and proud to be a part of the Marvel universe. I saw all these great actors really having fun and I wanted to be a part of the action. … It’s amazing. It’s phenomenal, even.”
Captain America: Brave New World star Giancarlo Esposito introduces MCU villain Sidewinder
Feige brought in cast members from Brave New World, including Anthony Mackie, Giancarlo Esposito and Tim Blake Nelson. Tom Holland once asked Mackie if there was a movie, to which Mackie responded, “And now there is a movie!” Feige said the new film will return to the “grounded action movie” vibe of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Mackie added that Sam Wilson is “not a muscle man. He’s a more thoughtful character.”
Nelson returns as the classic Hulk villain leader for the first time in 16 years since “The Incredible Hulk.” “There’s a great story written for him, and I think people are going to be pretty excited about it,” he said. And “Top Gun: Maverick” flyboy Danny Ramirez will be introduced as the new Falcon. “I feel at home in the sky.” And Esposito will make his MCU debut. “Fan casting brought us together,” he said. He also spoke for the first time about his role as Sidewinder, leader of the Serpent Society.
Marvel panel kicks off Deadpool-style (with Madonna)
The Hall H crowd erupts as the Deadpool-inspired Marvel opening fanfare plays, a red-and-yellow choir emerges to sing Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” (the unofficial theme song for “Deadpool & Wolverine”), and Wolverine and Deadpool cosplayers dance down the aisles. Marvel boss Kevin Feige makes an appearance, and “Deadpool” actor Rob Delaney acts as emcee. Peter Pool!
Check out the trailer for Brave New World (starring Harrison Ford!)
Harrison Ford is already something of a Disney legend, given his roles as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, but he’s now joining the Marvel family, playing President “Thunderbolt” Ross (a character played by William Hurt until his death in 2022) in Brave New World. While you wait for the panel, take a peek at the new trailer for this political thriller, which features Anthony Mackie as the new man with the Stars and Stripes shield.
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman join the Marvel Cinematic Universe
“Deadpool & Wolverine” marks the MCU debut for characters played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Fox’s earlier Marvel films. (Reynolds’ Deadpool even joked about Jackman’s fan-favorite Wolverine, saying, “Disney’s going to keep him in the suit until he’s 90.”) It’s a big move for the MCU, but Reynolds told USA Today in an interview that the original goal wasn’t to be a “big shiny toy.” “I can promise you that whatever we do, whatever we surprise people with, there’s always going to be a little bit of restraint, because that’s what’s fun.”