Marvel finally returned to Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, and they again exceeded expectations with their announcement regarding this new saga. This was a triumphant return after being away since 2019, and with one reveal after another, fans were excitedly bombarded with new information.
Marvel Studios dropped a number of surprises, from the official saga name and updates on projects like Captain America 4 to movies and TV additions that fans hoped would come to fruition as part of the MCU. Given these overwhelming revelations, it really looks like nothing will be able to stop the Marvel Cinematic Universe juggernaut.
Phase Four Is Over!
Kevin Feige took to the stage and set the course for the groundbreaking deluge of announcements, revealing that Phase Four is at its end. The Phase technically began with WandaVision, and it will conclude with the next film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
That means that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is currently set as the start of Phase Five. He also finally revealed that this is now the Multiverse Saga. This reveal really solidifies the purpose of Phase Four – the exploration of trauma and finding ways to forge new paths through it. It may have seemed aimless for a time, but rest assured, there’s a plan for everything.
New Roadmap
On top of Phase Four, Feige revealed a new roadmap for Phase Five. This portion of the presentation gave release dates for the films – most of which were already public knowledge, besides Blade on Nov 3rd, 2023 and Thunderbolts on July 26th, 2024. This also publicized the official title for Sam Wilson’s Captain America film, Captain America: New World Order, and a title change for Agatha: Coven of Chaos – formerly Agatha: House of Harkness.
This roadmap now defines Thunderbolts as the final film in Phase Five which is quite an interesting choice. It was the pattern throughout the Infinity Saga for a Phase to lead into an Avengers film for a mass team-up, and Thunderbolts will be doing that but with a sinister twist, uniting villains and anti-heroes. Phase Six will then begin with the highly anticipated Fantastic Four in 2024.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
They closed out their time at SDCC in the best way – by uniting the cast for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and releasing the stunning teaser trailer. Director Ryan Coogler heartwarmingly spoke about feeling Chadwick Boseman’s presence with him there. All the emotion onstage was only enhanced when the trailer started playing.
Importantly, the trailer showed off one of Marvel’s most important villains and heroes, Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta – who also shared in Spanish how his inclusion in this project can help more people around the world see themselves as superheroes. Michaela Coel’s character, Aneka was also revealed as a leader in the Dora Milaje. The trailer ends with the new Black Panther, but no inclination of who it could be. Right now, contenders range from Shuri, Nakia, Okoye, M’Baku, and even Queen Ramonda or Aneka.
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law
Feige also revealed new footage for She-Hulk: Attorney At Law since it is the next MCU project to premiere. It is now being described as the MCU’s first true thirty-minute TV comedy, and the trailer definitely lives up to that assessment. It actually showed quite a bit of this new series, such as Jennifer Walter’s unique fourth-wall breaking, her special talent at “hulking” and some important characters.
It gave a first look at Jameela Jamil as Titania, presumably one of the series’ main antagonists, but the moment at the very end is sure to capture all the attention. Charlie Cox is back again as Matt Murdock, and this time he's back as Daredevil in his red and yellow suit. Some other obscure characters like Frog Man were shown, and it seems like She-Hulk could be part of a support group for superpowered people. She-Hulk Attorney At Law will premiere on August 17th and will run for nine weeks.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quatumania
From the brief footage shown and the information revealed, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is quite a different movie tonally than its predecessors. While they surely had their dramatic beats, this starts with a darker premise. Scott Lang has embraced his life as a celebrity, having written a memoir, started a podcast, and probably arranged for some merch at AvengersCon. However, this has alienated his daughter, now played by Kathryn Newton.
Add in Jonathan Majors as the enticingly menacing Kang the Conqueror, and this is a recipe for something quite unique. On top of all that, it was also revealed that MODOK will be introduced, and Bill Murray is also part of the cast, presumably as some former acquaintance of Janet van Dyne. Fans will probably still be waiting until Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to see the official trailer since the film hits theaters on February 17th, 2023.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
James Gunn made it clear that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be the end for the Guardians in the MCU. That’s not to say everyone will die, but if fans take the emotion on the stage as any indication, they should maybe bring some tissues to the theater. The footage that was shown feels fitting for such a goodbye, and it showcases that Rocket will be the film’s bleeding heart. Baby Rocket was shown briefly, but most hauntingly, the last shot shown was all the Guardians with Rocket.
It's not all sad though. Will Poulter, who plays Adam Warlock, was there and shared his appreciation for the fans already. Maria Bakalova was surprisingly announced as the voice of Cosmo the Spacedog, and Chukwudi Iwuji hilariously arrived in costume, proving some fan-casting correct that he is the film’s antagonist as the High Evolutionary. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will premiere on May 5th, 2023.
Avengers Assemble!
There’s been an uneasy sense of confusion permeating throughout the MCU fanbase with people feeling like the franchise didn’t know where it was going since Avengers: Endgame. While those feelings are valid, they might be somewhat unfounded. Phase Four has been far more experimental in its formatting, storytelling, and aesthetics. Nevertheless, fans now know where everything is headed – to not one Avengers film, but two.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars were announced, but in an unexpected twist, both are part of Phase Six and will be released in 2025. This sets the stage for Kang to level up to the status of a franchise big-bad, and with Jonathan Majors at the helm, this will be exciting to witness. As per Secret Wars, this is something fans have been expecting for a while, especially following the inclusion of incursions in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Films Galore!
Each upcoming movie is a unique and exhilarating new endeavor for Marvel. Blade will star Mahershala Ali in the titular role – his second role in the MCU since he also played Cottonmouth in Luke Cage. One of the most exciting new tidbits of information was the reveal of Captain America: New World Order, where Sam Wilson will surely be dealing with some important and consequential matters.
Thunderbolts, of course, will catapult some of the dastardlier characters into the spotlight. Finally, there’s Fantastic Four, and while there is still no word of the casting, the release date has been announced. Phase Six will thus commence on November 8th, 2024, and in the meanwhile, fans will continue to speculate and theorize how Marvel’s First Family could be introduced on Earth-616
Secret Invasion
After She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, the next TV show to arrive on Disney+ is Secret Invasion. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders, along with Martin Freeman and Don Cheadle.
Smulders was there and shed some light on its unique tone, describing it as “an exciting thriller.” Feige had early on said Secret Invasion wouldn’t be the superhero cross-over that it is in the comics. However, the show isn’t lacking, rather showcasing an insular story full of suspense and intrigue. Secret Invasion will arrive on Disney+ in the spring 2023, nestled between Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Disney+ Isn't Slowing Down Either!
Just like the movies, there are just as many TV shows coming down the pipeline. Perhaps, the most exciting announcement from this segment was for Daredevil: Born Again, the reboot/continuation of the Netflix series. Not only are Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio back together again, but fans will have eighteen episodes to witness their struggles in this new world.
Agatha: Coven of Chaos received its new name and already fans are hyped, especially the ones who hope it could bring Scarlet Witch back. The new roadmap also showed that Loki will be returning for its second season, and it will be interesting to see how the TVA will be different now that Kang’s in charge and how the outcome of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will affect the show.
Animated Series Too
Whether they’re part of the MCU or not, the many upcoming animated series got some extra special attention at Comic-Con, and they deserve to be discussed. On the MCU side, several characters and actors were announced for the second season of What If? and that show’s spin-off Marvel Zombies. Character designs were shown, such as for the epic team of Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Katy Chen, and Death Dealer, and it was revealed that it will be rated TV-MA.
When Spider-Man: Freshman Year was first announced, it was presented as a canon story showing how Peter Parker became Spider-Man. However, the new information available debunks that and rather sets it as MCU-adjacent. That show already looks so fun, with a beautifully distinctive style, along with some important characters, such as Harry and Norman Osborn. The case could also be said that X-Men ’97 is MCU-adjacent since its music has been incorporated into the MCU and Patrick Stewart used the iconic yellow wheelchair in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. That show finally got its release window of Fall 2023.
But Wait, There's More!
With everything that was featured, there is still just as much kept secret. Thankfully, fans won’t have to wait long to learn more as the D23 Expo is right around the corner in September. There are speculations that the Fantastic Four cast could be revealed there, but at Comic-Con, Marvel said that they still have 8 major projects that would be announced at that Expo, too.
Some thought The Marvels would get some attention after the way Ms. Marvel ended, or that the highly-desired Scarlet Witch film would be announced. However, most imminent are the two specials still planned for this year. There's the yet-untitled Halloween special starring Gael García Bernal as Werewolf by Night, presumably, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Among the myriad of projects that will surely be discussed, these two specials need some special attention at D23.