SAN DIEGO — Marvel Studios returned to San Diego Comic-Con with a dancing Deadpool variant and a choir and held a panel that included news about the next two “Avengers” movies and surprise guests like Harrison Ford and Robert Downey Jr.
What you need to know Downey will return to Marvel movies, but not as Iron Man, but as villain Victor Von Doom, or Doctor Doom, in at least one of the upcoming “Avengers” movies. The Russo brothers, who will direct the film starring Downey, said his appearance in the movie is “testament to the unimaginable possibilities of the Marvel multiverse.” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige began the panel by noting that this weekend’s success of “Deadpool & Wolverine” has pushed the vast Marvel Cinematic Universe past $30 billion in box office gross.
Captain America: Brave New World cast members Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez and Anthony Mackie were first on stage to share details about the new film.
Downey is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but not as Iron Man. He will play the villain Victor Von Doom, aka Doctor Doom, in at least one of the upcoming “Avengers” films. Downey, who helped spark Marvel’s success with “Iron Man” and has played the popular character in nine films, appeared on Saturday donning Doctor Doom’s mask and green cape.
“New mask, same job,” Downey said to rapturous cheers.
The Russo brothers, who are directing the Downey film, said his appearance in the movie is “testament to the unimaginable possibilities of the Marvel multiverse.”
The announcement capped off Marvel’s joyous return to Comic-Con’s Hall H.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige kicked off the panel by noting that the success of this weekend’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” has propelled the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe to more than $30 billion in box office gross. A choir sang Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” before Feige spoke, in honor of a scene from the film.
“Deadpool & Wolverine,” which hits theaters on Thursday, has already broken one record and could break more in its opening weekend. Feige outlined the future direction of the MCU during Saturday’s panel, revealing Ford’s character in the next “Captain America” movie and revealing that the next two films in the epic superhero team-up series are titled “Avengers: Secret Wars” and “Avengers: Doomsday,” which is scheduled to hit theaters in 2026.
Feige said all of the actors introduced Saturday will appear in the upcoming “Avengers” series, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The Russo brothers helmed the “Avengers” series through a sprawling storyline that concluded with 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” including the death of Tony Stark/Iron Man, played by Downey.
“When we directed Avengers: Endgame, Joe and I truly believed that this was the end of our road in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, because we had poured all of our passion, love and imagination into Winter Soldier, Civil War and Infinity War, culminating in Avengers: Endgame,” said Anthony Russo. “Those four-film series were incredible, and allowed us to pour all of our emotion and creativity into those films. Since then, Joe and I have seen the potential to move forward with you all through a very special story.”
They called “Secret Wars” “the biggest story in Marvel Comics history,” and Joe said the first comic book he read as a kid got him “hooked on comics.”
Saturday’s session comes after Marvel skipped last year’s convention because a Hollywood strike prevented writers and actors from speaking on panels.
Captain America: Brave New World cast members Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez and Anthony Mackie were first on stage to tease a few details about the upcoming film, with Esposito revealing that he’ll be playing the villain Seth Voelker, also known as Sidewinder.
When asked how it felt to be part of the Marvel project, Esposito said, “It’s a dream come true.”
“It’s a dream come true and you get that phone call and you walk through the door,” he continued, “and I’m so grateful to all the fans who really made this dream come true because fancasting brought us together.”
The cast then stepped aside to show a scene from the film on the big screen, revealing Ford’s President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross trying to rebuild the Avengers with Mackie’s Sam Wilson, as well as a glimpse of Ford’s character transforming into the Red Hulk.
Ford, who took part in a panel after fans were shown footage from the film – showing off his muscles to a cheering crowd – also expressed his excitement for his latest role, saying he was “humbled and proud to be a part of the Marvel Universe.”
The cast and director of Thunderbolt also surprised fans with a short clip from the film, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour (initially in costume as Red Guardian and speaking in character) bursting onto the stage to share more about their roles.
The film is scheduled to be released in May 2025.
The final film introduced at the panel was “The Fantastic Four,” starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bacharach, which Feige said would begin shooting in London on Tuesday.
He said the film is scheduled to hit theaters in July 2025, roughly a year from now.
Following a video created by director Matt Shakman especially for Comic-Con, featuring the cast in all their ’60s glory, Shakman and Feige announced the film’s official title as Fantastic Four: The First Step.
The session did not mention Jonathan Majors, who plays the villain Kang the Conqueror and was previously a key part of Marvel’s “Avengers” plot. The actor was fired by the studio in December after being convicted of assaulting a former girlfriend. He was sentenced to a year in a counseling program in April and avoided prison.
Marvel already took over Hall H on Thursday for a high-energy panel celebrating “Deadpool & Wolverine,” where audience members enjoyed a full screening and a surprise guest appearance onstage with stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.
The enthusiasm for the film at Comic-Con rippled across the country as fans flocked to theaters, and the film set a new record for Thursday previews for an R-rated film. The comic book movie sold an estimated $38.5 million worth of movie tickets during Thursday preview screenings.
The success of “Deadpool & Wolverine” woke up a sleepy year for Marvel and eased concerns about a lackluster box office performance in the second half of 2023. The superhero factory hit a record low in November with the release of “The Marvels,” which grossed just $47 million.