Disney brought Marvel back to San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) in 2024. They did not come empty-handed, though, as updates on future Avengers movies, Captain America: Brave New World, and The Fantastic Four were all provided.
1. Robert Downey Jr comes back after winning an Oscar
Winning an Oscar seemed like the nail in the coffin for Robert Downey Jr to return to Marvel in the near future. He has been chasing one for decades, and his time as the MCU's guiding light, Tony Stark, was brought to a beautiful close in Avengers: Endgame.
That is until Marvel announced the fifth and sixth Avengers movies: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Downey will return to the MCU, but not as Tony Stark/Iron Man. He will play Doctor Doom in a shocking twist.
At this point, Downey has earned the right to do anything he wishes. But the move was surprising. Perhaps the disastrous Dolittle — his first non-Marvel project after Endgame — and his Oscar-winning performance in Oppenheimer was the boost he needed.
Rumors of Downey reemerging in the MCU as Doctor Doom were reported a couple of weeks ago. It seemed far-fetched, but perhaps Marvel was attempting to keep it a secret for the 2024 SDCC reveal.
2. The Russo Brothers couldn't resist
Along with Downey are the Russo Brothers, Joe and Anthony. They have previously directed four Marvel movies — Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
If nothing else, they know how to make money-making blockbuster hits. Three of their four Marvel efforts grossed over $1 billion at the box office. Infinity War and Endgame each made over $2 billion and are amongst the highest-grossing movies ever.
They will return to direct Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Their longtime writer, Michael Waldron, will team with Stephen McFeely to write the scripts for the two movies.
Unlike Downey, the Russos have had little success outside of Marvel. Their first directorial effort after was Cherry, with Tom Holland. They then directed The Gray Man for Netflix, and their next movie, The Electric State, will also be released by the streaming service.
Their biggest hits outside the MCU are Everything Everywhere All at Once and the Extraction franchise. They produced the former movie and the latter franchise. Joe Russo also wrote the script for both Extraction movies.
3. Marvel willing to spoil Deadpool and Wolverine
While Marvel stuffed a lot of cameos in Deadpool and Wolverine, they were willing to spoil them the day before its official release. On July 25, Marvel held a special panel for the movie.
It ended up being a screening of the full movie. Director Shawn Levy and stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman joined Kevin Feige on stage. They then brought Chris Evans, Jennifer Garner, Channing Tatum, Dafne Keen, and Wesley Snipes out, who played Johnny Storm, Elektra, Gambit, X-23, and Blade, respectively, in the movie.
While the audience there had already seen the cameos happen, fans online may not have. Trades like The Hollywood Reporter were on hand to report on the panel and posted about it. This would spoil potential surprises for fans who were not able to see the movie during Thursday night preview screenings.
4. Harrison Ford is having fun playing Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross
Marvel newcomer Harrison Ford was also present at the 2024 SDCC. He will replace the late William Hurt as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in the forthcoming Captain America: Brave New World.
He seemed to have fun on stage. Ford said he is “proud to become a member of the Marvel Universe.” This is a far cry from the cranky non-fan he tries to be.
Coming off Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Ford is stepping back into another franchise. His part will be critical to the future of the MCU.
5. The Fantastic Four: First Steps could be really different
The MCU's first swing at the Fantastic Four finally has a title. It will be called First Steps, and the cast (Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach) was in attendance at SDCC to present footage to the audience there.
Per IGN, the footage teased Galactus (Ralph Ineson) at the end, who stars into a building. The Fantastic Four: First Steps comes out on July 25, 2025, so it is only a matter of time before Marvel releases more looks at the iconic villain.
Follow Us
Subscribe
