Die-hard Marvel followers packed San Diego Comedian Con’s large Corridor H on Saturday evening, some even tenting out for greater than 30 hours. However because the 40-minute panel ended with simply two shock bulletins — a Ghost Rider film starring Ryan Gosling and “Black Panther 3” — it is laborious to not marvel, “Is that this it?”
After a 30-minute delay, the panel started with Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige acknowledging author and producer Stephen Wacker’s new function as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He then revealed a trailer for the re-release of “Avengers: Endgame”, referred to as “Endgame Encore”, which can give an unique preview of “Doomsday”. However followers have been hungry for brand new bulletins, not a re-released trailer for a film they’ve in all probability seen a number of occasions (and can little question watch once more).
Gosling and director Shawn Levy reuniting for a Ghost Rider film was a shock, though the actor has been lured for years. The announcement capped a future with “Joyful Unhappy Confused” host Josh Horowitz recalling all of the occasions he requested Gosling in regards to the long-rumored movie in interviews. Until followers have been glued to each MCU rumor, Horowitz’s introduction of Gosling did not work nicely on stage. After Marvel’s “Blade” film by no means absolutely materialized, it is laborious to not take an “I am going to imagine it once I see it” stance on the “Ghost Rider” — even though “Deadpool and Wolverine” director Shawn Levy is already locked in.
The opposite awkward second from the Marvel panel got here throughout a complicated look by Deadpool. Because the sprawling forged of “Doomsday” joined the stage, a really recognizable voice rose among the many sea of followers. Deadpool, wearing his grey X-Power go well with, appeared within the crowd – however by no means eliminated his masks to indicate who was beneath. It actually appeared like Ryan Reynolds was begging for a task within the movie, however it wasn’t clear if Reynolds himself was within the go well with. Joe and Anthony Russo joked that manufacturing was over on “Doomsday,” however then… that was it. Though it was closely speculated that Deadpool might seem in each 2027’s “Doomsday” and “Secret Wars,” Feige skipped the possibility to substantiate Reynolds’ return to the MCU.
As an alternative, Feige and the Russos immediately launched an unique trailer for “Doomsday,” which featured extra backstory for Downey’s villain, but in addition some recycled footage from the newest teaser. We be taught extra about Doom’s difficult historical past with the Unbelievable 4 and his seemingly tortured previous, however a lot of the plot continues to be wrapped up. Probably the most thrilling second got here when Doom resurrected a fleet of large Sentinel robots – evil robots from the “X-Males” universe – to battle the heroes.
The panel ended with one other long-rumored announcement, Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther 3,” however with a serious shock: “Alien: Romulus” actor David Jonsson is reprising the title function. He’ll play T’Challa II, the son of the late hero Chadwick Boseman, in what is going to undoubtedly be one other emotional movie for Coogler and the Wakanda crew. Jonsson is an thrilling younger actor on the rise and was glorious in final 12 months’s adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Lengthy Stroll.” Will probably be unimaginable to exchange Boseman, however Jonsson is shaping as much as be one of many main items of the following period of Marvel.
To this point, “Ghost Rider” and “Black Panther 3,” each scheduled for 2028, are the one movies in Marvel’s subsequent section after “Doomsday” and “Secret Wars.” Followers have been ready a very long time – and Feige has mentioned so – for the X-Males to assist form the way forward for the MCU, however there wasn’t a single X-rated announcement on stage Saturday. A number of stars of Fox’s “X-Males” are returning for “Doomsday,” however there isn’t any phrase on whether or not they’ll be again for “Secret Wars” or past. Rumors in regards to the subsequent X-Males forged have swirled on-line, however in the course of the panel, all the main focus was on “Doomsday” — and never what may come subsequent.
Perhaps the expectations have been too excessive. The final time Marvel attended Comedian Con was in 2024, when the studio made the bombshell reveal that Robert Downey Jr., the actor who carried the MCU on his again for over a decade, would return as its subsequent main villain: Physician Doom. That announcement practically blew the roof off Corridor H, however nothing matched that depth this 12 months. Seeing the group of followers wearing Doom costumes was enjoyable for a number of seconds, however watching everybody collect round for a selfie — and never getting any extra details about “Doomsday” — was not.
Fortunately, Disney is holding its D23 occasion in simply three weeks, the place extra information is bound to reach. Nonetheless, Comedian-Con is usually a movie-centric occasion, the place D23 presents extra TV reveals. Everybody expects “Doomsday” to be a much-needed hit for the MCU later this 12 months, however can it attain the 2 billion greenback mark of “Endgame”? And the way will this fare in opposition to Warner Bros.? “Dune: Half 3,” which hits theaters the identical day, December 18? With the “Dunesday” showdown approaching, Marvel wants all of the hype it could possibly get to pave the best way for its future, and Comedian-Con might have used a number of extra main bulletins to make it a must-see cultural occasion.