Marvel Moves Forward by Going Backwards, Announcing Robert Downey Jr. and the Russo Brothers’ Return to the MCU at Comic Con
Marvel Studios may have skipped San Diego Comic-Con 2023, which was hindered by a lack of big name talent and productions being halted (a result of last summer’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes), but Kevin Feige and his crew are back this year trying to sell the idea that Marvel films and TV are still top-tier entertainment. In 2022, Feige broke down the shift from the illustrious Phase 4, which included films such as “Spiderman: No Way Home” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” as well as TV series like “Wandavision” and “Moon Knight,” into the underwhelming Phase 5. Many of the projects announced for Marvel’s latest era have struggled to come to fruition.
While 2023 saw the release of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” and “The Marvels,” this year has only one Marvel release with “Deadpool & Wolverine” in theaters the same weekend as Comic-Con. Many can lay the blame on the production shut-downs that came from the strikes, but quality issues and poor box office performance also seem to be a factor in the slow down. The studio’s reinvention of the “Blade” property starring Academy-Award winner Mahershala Ali has cycled through a number of writers and directors at this point and production still hasn’t begun, while other projects like “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Thunderbolts” have had to undergo reshoots and casting changes, but at least have release dates for 2025. The studio also had to deal with the fallout from the conviction and sentencing of Jonathan Majors, who played Kang and was, at one point, supposed to be a longterm standout of upcoming MCU projects.
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The biggest positive news Marvel has had to share recently was this past February’s announcement of “The Fantastic Four” joining the MCU with a cast that features Pedro Pescal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch. Production has already begun on the film with a slated release date of July 25, 2025 and many are hoping it will reignite the “Avengers” glory that has been lost in the wash of new characters and overcooked narratives.
Returning to the Hall H stage, Feige was sporting a “Fantastic Four” hat and began the panel with a “Deadpool & Wolverine” choir sporting yellow and red robes and singing along to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.” The first film to be discussed was “Captain America: Brave New World,” which saw Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez, Giancarlo Esposito, and Anthony Mackie take to the stage. Feige shared how the film would be a return to grounded aspects of the series similar to “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” Esposito also announced he would be playing Sidewinder in the film.
A clip from “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” was also shown that introduces Adamantium, the substance known for making Wolverine indestructible, to the MCU. This could have big implications for future involvement from the X-Men. Harrison Ford’s character, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, was also revealed as Red Hulk in the clip. Following the footage, Ford joined the rest of the cast on stage to thunderous applause.
He was followed by the cast of “Thunderbolts*,” including Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Hannah John-Kamen. After teasing some details on where their characters are emotionally in the film, Feige and the cast revealed an extended trailer that featured the gang of bad guys being sent on a mission to take down an even badder guy.
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” was also announced as the new title of the upcoming group superhero film, with production officially beginning this upcoming Tuesday, though the entire cast showed up in San Diego for the reveal. A first look was shown for the live-action Galactus, seemingly confirming the character as the main villain of the film.
Feige confirmed these would the three films for 2025, signaling that planned efforts to bring “Blade” back to the big screen are on pause. However, it seems Marvel is full steam ahead on the two upcoming “Avengers” film, as Feige announced the Russo Brothers will be returning to direct “Avengers: Doomsday,” slated for May 2026, and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” slated for May 2027.
But the biggest mic drop of the panel was the reveal that Robert Downey Jr. will be returning to the MCU to play Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom. The actor, hidden amongst a group of other Doctor Dooms, took to the stage in green costume and Doom mask, eventually revealing himself, causing the room to burst into screams and cries.
No new announcements were made regarding TV shows like “Agatha All Along” or “Daredevil: Born Again,” but both are slated to be released later this year and early next year.
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