The 2024 San Diego Comic Con was full of surprises from some of the biggest franchises and studios. One of those was Marvel Studios, which made some shocking reveals about what fans can expect in the latter half of the Multiverse Saga.
Phase 4 had a bit of a rocky start, thanks to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. It had a few highlights, with films like Spider-Man: No Way Home, but also some lows, like The Eternals. Phase 5, on the other hand, has had a very rough time, with movies like Ant-Man 3 and The Marvels outright losing money. So, we will have to see what is in store for 2025 and beyond.
The first segment talked about the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World, which stars Anthony Mackie as the lead hero. Danny Ramirez came out on stage and was presented as the new Falcon, and Giancarlo Esposito revealed that he would be playing Sidewinder. Tim Blake Nelson returns to the MCU after nearly two decades and will portray Leader. Harrison Ford also appeared on stage and commented on how he was excited to be a part of the MCU. It will release on February 14th, 2025.
The next segment talked about the Thunderbolts, now with a “*” at the end. The reason for that will be explained in the movie. A trailer for the movie shows that each member is being targeted and will need to team up to stop this threat. Basically, it’s Marvel’s version of DC’s Suicide Squad. It will release on May 2nd, 2025.
The next segment focuses on the Fantastic Four film, now called The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The movie is set in an alternate 1960s. We are shown an early animatic of what we can expect as proper filming has yet to begin. We can expect the villain Galactus, along with the new gender-bent Silver Surfer, to play a part in their journey. We can also expect them to participate in the upcoming Secret Wars. The film is set for July 25th, 2025, and will be the first film in Phase 6.
Lastly, perhaps the biggest bit of news, Joe and Anthony Russo will be returning to helm both Avengers 5 and 6. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty has now been changed to Avengers: Doomsday, as they have decided to ditch Kang the Conquerer in favor of Doctor Doom due to the ongoing Jonathan Majors controversy. Real-world events can cause creative plans to change, much like what happened with South Park in 2016.
But perhaps the biggest surprise was the reveal that Doctor Doom will be portrayed by former Iron Man actor Robert Downy Jr., who stepped out to a roaring crowd. They stated that he would be Victor Von Doom, so this will most likely be an alternate-timeline version of Tony Stark, who is a power-hungry dictator. Avengers: Doomsday is set for a May 1st, 2026 release and Avengers: Secret Wars is set for May 7th, 2027.
Despite all the announcements, nothing was said or shown about the upcoming Blade reboot, the Iron Heart series, the Daredevil: Born Again series, or the Armor Wars movie. Marvel seems to be slowing down its output compared to previous phases.
What were your thoughts on the announcements made this year? Does Robert Downy Jr.’s return excite you? Will the MCU be able to regain the audiences it lost? Let us know your thoughts.
Source: comicbook.com
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