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SAN DIEGO: Marvel Studios returned to San Diego Comic-Con with dancing Deadpool variants and a chorus for a panel that included news on the next two “Avengers” movies and surprise guests including Harrison Ford and Robert Downey Jr.
Downey is returning to Marvel movies, but not as Iron Man. He will play the villain Victor Von Doom, or Doctor Doom, in at least one of the upcoming “Avengers” movies. Downey launched Marvel's film franchise in “Iron Man” and played the popular character in nine films, but on Saturday he appeared dressed as Dr. Doom's mask and a green cloak.
“New mask, same task,” Downey said to frenzied cheers.
The Russo brothers, who will co-direct the film with Downey, said his appearance in the film is “proof of the unimaginable possibilities of the Marvel multiverse.”
The reveal capped a jubilant return of Marvel to Comic-Con's Hall H.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige kicked off the panel by saying that due to the weekend success of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe had now topped $30 billion in box office revenue. In a nod to a scene in the film, a choir sang Madonna's “Like a Prayer” before Feige spoke.
“Deadpool & Wolverine,” which was released on Thursday, has already broken a record and could break more during its opening weekend. Feige used Saturday's panel to chart the course forward for the MCU, revealing Ford's character in the next “Captain America” ​​film and revealing “Avengers: Secret Wars and “Avengers: Doomsday” as the titles of the next two films in the epic superhero team-up series .'Doomsday' hits theaters in 2026.
Feige said all of the actors introduced Saturday would appear in the upcoming “Avengers” movies, which will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The brothers guided the “Avengers” franchise through its sprawling storyline that was capped by 2019's “Avengers: Endgame,” which included the death of Downey's Tony Stark/Iron Man character.
“When we directed 'Avengers: Endgame,' Joe and I really thought it was the end of the road for us in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because we had put all our passion, our love, our imagination into 'The Winter Soldier,' into 'Civil War,” to “Infinity War,” culminating with “Avengers: Endgame,” said Anthony Russo. “This four-film run was incredible, and it allowed us to spend creatively with all of our emotions on the film. In the time since, through a very special story, Joe and I have come to potentially see a way forward with you.”
They called “Secret Wars” the “greatest story Marvel Comics ever told,” and Joe said it was the first comic book he read as a kid that made him “fall in love with comics.”
Saturday's session comes after Marvel skipped the convention last year due to the Hollywood strikes, which prevented writers and actors from speaking on panels.
The cast of “Captain America: Brave New World” – Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez and Anthony Mackie – first took the stage and teased details about the upcoming film. Esposito revealed that he will be playing the villain, Seth Voelker, also known as Sidewinder.
When asked what it was like to join a Marvel project, Esposito said it was a “dream come true.
“When your dreams come true and you get the call, you walk through the door,” he continued. “I am very grateful to all the fans who really made this dream come true, because it was fancasting that linked us together.”
The cast then stepped aside to share a scene from the movie on the big screen, which revealed that President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by Ford, hopes to rebuild the Avengers with Mackie's Sam Wilson. It also showed how Ford's character transforms into the Red Hulk.
Ford joined the panel after fans were treated to clips from the film and flexed his muscles to the roaring crowd. He also expressed excitement about his latest role, saying, “I'm excited and proud to be a member of the Marvel Universe.”
The cast and director of “Thunderbolts(asterisk)” also surprised fans with a short clip from the film. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbor (in full costume and speaking in character as the Red Guardian at first) stormed the stage and shared some more details about their characters.
The film is scheduled to release in May 2025.
The final film teased at the panel was “The Fantastic Four,” starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Filming begins Tuesday in London, Feige said.
He said that the film will hit theaters in almost exactly one year in July 2025.
After a video director Matt Shakman created specifically for Comic-Con that featured the cast in full '60s glory, he and Feige revealed the film's official title, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
The session did not include any mention of Jonathan Majors, who played the villain Kang the Conqueror and was previously a big part of Marvel's “Avengers” plans. The actor was fired by the studio after he was convicted in December of assaulting an ex-girlfriend. He was sentenced to a yearlong counseling program in April and avoided jail time.
Marvel already took over Hall H last Thursday with an electric panel to celebrate “Deadpool & Wolverine”, where the audience was treated to a full screening and surprise guests with stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on stage.
The growing enthusiasm for the film at Comic-Con was reflected across the country as fans rushed to see it in theaters, securing the film as the new record holder for Thursday previews for an R-rated film. The animated film sold an estimated $38.5 million worth of theater tickets from Thursday previews.
The “Deadpool & Wolverine” hit woke up a sleepy year for Marvel and quelled concerns about its underperformance at the box office in late 2023. The superhero factory hit a record low in November with the release of “The Marvels,” which opened with just $47 million.