Comic-Con welcomes back excited fans
Thousands of fans, wearing masks, enjoy a fully stacked 2022 Comic-Con in San Diego, after two years of virtual and scaled back versions of the event. (July 21)
AP
SAN DIEGO – Marvel made a grand return to Comic-Con Saturday night, announcing two new “Avengers” films and debuting the trailer for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” while building out the next two phases of the super-popular Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Marvel president Kevin Feige and a parade of stars and filmmakers showed footage and teased various projects coming out between now and 2025 that will be part of the newly coined “Multiverse Saga.”
The late Chadwick Boseman was celebrated by Ryan Coogler, director of “Wakanda Forever” (in theaters Nov. 11), while Jonathan Majors teased his villainous Kang role in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (Feb. 17, 2023) and director James Gunn previewed the end of his space misfits story in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (May 5, 2023).
Comic-Con: Marvel Animation offers first looks at ‘What If…?’ Season 2, ‘I Am Groot,’ ‘X-Men ’97’
Here are all the live updates from the Marvel panel:
After a group of African musicians rouses the audience, “Wakanda Forever” director Ryan Coogler arrives to chat about the sequel. He honors “the late, great Chadwick Boseman” and mentions that though he’s not here physically, “his impact on this industry will be felt forever.” Coogler says the film “goes to new places in Wakanda we haven’t seen before and new corners of the MCU” and also introduces debuting actors, including Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams (aka Ironheart) and Tenoch Huerta as Namor the Sub-Mariner. “I come from the hood, and I wouldn’t be here without inclusion,” an emotional Huerta says. “There are kids in their hoods, looking at us, dreaming to be here.”
Coogler also debuts the first “Wakanda Forever” trailer, which catches up with returning characters after the death of Boseman’s T’Challa, showcases Namor and the kingdom of Atlantis and also teases someone in the Panther suit. Afterward, the director shares an embrace with a crying Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke and others.
Feige saved the best for last, announcing Phase 6. It will kick off with “Fantastic Four” (coming Nov. 8, 2024) and end with “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” (May 2, 2025) and “Avengers: Secret Wars” (Nov. 7, 2025). This will conclude the second big story of the MCU, labeled “The Multiverse Saga.”
Gunn teased a thrilling and dramatic end to his trilogy with the first footage, showing Zoe Saldana’s Gamora leading the Ravagers, Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord trying to reconnect with her, the debut of Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock (who was almost in “Vol. 2”) and even a glimpse of baby Rocket. “This is where I always intended to go” from the first “Guardians,” Gunn says, adding that the story is very much about Rocket being “the saddest creature in the universe.” Also some interesting casting: Maria Bakalova, breakout from the “Borat” sequel, plays Cosmo the space dog. The panel then gets crashed when the High Evolutionary (“Peacemaker” star Chukwudi Iwuji) shows up in the crowd and walks on stage. “Call me sire,” he tells Gunn. His purpose: “To take unevolved lowlife scum such as yourselves and enhance you genetically to something less reprehensible.” So, guessing he’s the new big bad.
The new “Ant-Man” (which kicks off Phase 5) finds Paul Rudd’s shrinking superhero having written a book. “He’s pretty pleased with himself in his role in saving the universe,” Rudd says. Director Peyton Reed premieres a super-trippy “Quantumania” trailer featuring a glimpse at fan-favorite baddie MODOK and an appearance from villain Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors. “There will be conquering,” Majors teases.
Disney+’s ‘She-Hulk,’ ‘Secret Invasion’ get trailers
“She-Hulk” star Tatiana Maslany hits the stage with a new trailer, which shows the vibe of the upcoming legal comedy. “This show is very different it has irreverent humor and She-Hulk herself is trying not to be a superhero, which is a fun take,” she says. Feige also shows a glimpse of “Secret Invasion,” a dark thriller with Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and shapeshifting Skrulls all over the place.
Feige rolls out the entire Phase 5 of the MCU, which includes the new “Ant-Man” and “Guardians” movies, “Blade” (out Nov. 3, 2023) and an “Ironheart” series on Disney+. Spring 2024 brings an 18-episode “Daredevil: Born Again” show with Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, as well as a “Captain America: New World Order” film (May 3, 2024) with Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson as the new Cap. The phase concludes with “Thunderbolts” (July 26, 2024).
Marvel president Kevin Feige looks back at the last three years
Miss Minutes from “Loki” reminds us we’ve survived a “looping apocalypse” and introduces Kevin Feige. He throws back three years to when Shang-Chi, Kamala Khan and a new Captain America were all first announced as part of Phase 4. “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” and “Black Panther” sequel ends the phase, all about resetting the universe,
Debuting Aug. 10, “I Am Groot” is a series of five shorts that drop in at different points in the adorable Guardian of the Galaxy fixture’s childhood. Executive producer Kirsten Lepore said she focused on “universal activities” like bathtime, arts and crafts and dress up, but asked herself, “How do we make it sci-fi and really Groot?” (She found inspiration in her 3-year-old son.) As in the Marvel movies, Vin Diesel voices Groot and Bradley Cooper reprises his role as best buddy Rocket.
Marvel animation previews second season of ‘What If …?’
Marvel Studios’ animation department had its first Comic-Con panel Friday, and producers previewed Season 2 of Disney+’s “What If…?” (featuring Jeffrey Wright as the Watcher), which arrives early next year and continues to play with multiversal versions of Marvel Cinematic Universe favorites. The panel premiered a new episode reimagining “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” with Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell) taking on a brainwashed Steve Rogers in Hydra Stomper armor.
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