Die-hard Marvel fans packed San Diego Comic-Con’s massive Hall H on Saturday night, some camping out for more than 30 hours. But as the 40-minute panel ended with just two surprise announcements: the Ghost Rider movie starring Ryan Gosling and Black Panther 3, you can’t help but wonder, “Huh?”
After a 30-minute delay, the panel discussion began, with Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige confirming writer/producer Steven Wacker’s new role as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He then released a trailer for the “Avengers: Endgame” re-release, dubbed “Endgame Encore,” and gave a special preview of “Doomsday.” But what fans wanted was a new announcement, not a re-edited trailer for a movie they’ve seen many times (and will no doubt see again).
Gosling and director Shawn Levy reteaming for the Ghost Rider movie was a surprise, even though Gosling had been attracted to the film for years. The announcement capped a long story in which “Happy Sad Confused” host Josh Horowitz recalled asking Gosling multiple times in interviews about the long-rumored movie. Unless fans are glued to all the MCU rumors, Gosling’s introduction from Horowitz didn’t go over well on stage. While Marvel’s Blade never fully materialized, it’s hard not to take a “see it, believe it” stance when it comes to Ghost Rider, even though Deadpool and Wolverine director Shawn Levy is already in the spotlight.
Another awkward moment from the Marvel panel occurred during Deadpool’s confusing cameo. A familiar voice rang out from the sea of fans as the large “Doomsday” cast joined them on stage. Deadpool appeared in the crowd wearing a gray X-Force costume, but never removed his mask to reveal who was underneath. It certainly sounded like Ryan Reynolds was begging to be in the movie, but it was unclear whether Reynolds himself was on board with the lawsuit. Joe and Anthony Russo joked that production ended on “Doomsday,” and that was it. There has been widespread speculation that Deadpool will make cameos in both Doomsday and 2027’s Secret Wars, but Feige passed up the opportunity to confirm Reynolds’ return to the MCU.
Instead, Feige and the Russo family quickly moved on to screening a special trailer for Doomsday. The trailer showed more of the backstory of Downey’s villain, but also included some recycled footage from the last trailer. We learn more about Doom’s complicated history with the Fantastic Four and seemingly troubled past, but much of the plot is still being wrapped up. The most exciting moment was when Doom revived a fleet of giant Sentinel robots (the villainous robots of the “X-Men” universe) to fight the heroes.
The panel discussion ended with the announcement of Ryan Coogler’s long-rumored Black Panther 3, but there was a big surprise. The idea was that “Alien: Romulus” actor David Johnson would take over the title role. He will play T’Challa II, the son of late director Chadwick Boseman’s hero, in what is sure to be another emotional film for Coogler and his Wakanda crew. Jon Sung is a young actor on the rise, and he gave an excellent performance in last year’s film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk. While he won’t be able to replace Boseman, Johnson will be one of the key figures in Marvel’s next era.
So far, the only films in Marvel’s next phase after “Doomsday” and “Secret Wars” are “Ghost Rider” and “Black Panther 3,” both scheduled for release in 2028. Fans have long expected the X-Men to lead the future of the MCU, and Feige has said so, but there were no announcements regarding the X-Men on stage Saturday. Several of Fox’s “X-Men” stars are set to return for “Doomsday,” but there’s no indication whether they’ll return after “Secret Wars.” Rumors about the next cast of X-Men have been circulating online, but the panel discussion focused on Doomsday, not what happens next.
Maybe my expectations were too high. The last time Marvel attended Comic-Con was in 2024, when the studio made the shocking reveal that Robert Downey Jr., the actor who carried the MCU for more than a decade, would be returning as the next major villain, Doctor Doom. That announcement almost blew the roof off Hall H, but nothing this year could match that intensity. Seeing the crowd of fans in Doom costumes was fun for a few seconds, but watching everyone gather around and take selfies wasn’t fun, and we didn’t get any detailed information about “Doomsday.”
Luckily, Disney is holding the D23 event in just three weeks, and more news is sure to be announced. However, Comic-Con is typically a movie-centric event, and D23 hosts more TV shows. Everyone expects Doomsday to be a much-needed hit for the MCU later this year, but can it rise to the $2 billion heights of Endgame? And what will happen against Warner Bros.? ” Will Dune: Part 3 be released in theaters on the same day, December 18th? As the Dunesday showdown approaches, Marvel needs all the hype to pave the way for the future, and Comic-Con could have made a slightly more significant announcement to establish itself as a must-see cultural event.
