Summary
- Marvel Studios revealed some exciting updates at 2024’s SDCC and D23, including new trailers, footage and casting announcements.
- There are several upcoming MCU projects that weren’t mentioned at SDCC or D23 at all, despite being previously confirmed.
- The futures of
Blade, Armor Wars, Wonder Man, Nova
and
X-Men
, among several others, are still unclear after SDCC and D23.
There were several upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and TV shows that Marvel Studios neglected to address at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con and D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. Kevin Feige’s presentations at SDCC and D23 have become some of the most anticipated events in an MCU fan’s calendar. This year, however, the Marvel Studios boss didn’t reveal a full upcoming slate, as has become the norm, but instead focused on only a few upcoming projects from Marvel Studios, Marvel Television and Marvel Animation.
Marvel Studios gave audiences a lot of great new reveals at SDCC and D23, including an official new trailer for Agatha All Along, and new footage from Captain America: Brave New World, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Thunderbolts*, Daredevil: Born Again and Ironheart. Feige also used SDCC to confirm the Russo brothers’ return for Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, and Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Doctor Doom. However, there were a number of confirmed MCU projects that weren’t addressed at either SDCC or D23, leaving their futures uncertain.
|
MCU Projects Addressed at SDCC & D23 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Project |
Release Date |
Studio |
|
Agatha All Along |
September 18, 2024 |
Marvel Television |
|
Eyes of Wakanda |
2024 |
Marvel Animation |
|
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man |
2024 |
Marvel Animation |
|
Captain America: Brave New World |
February 14, 2025 |
Marvel Studios |
|
Daredevil: Born Again |
March 2025 |
Marvel Television |
|
Thunderbolts* |
May 2, 2025 |
Marvel Studios |
|
The Fantastic Four: First Steps |
July 25, 2025 |
Marvel Studios |
|
Ironheart |
2025 |
Marvel Television |
|
Avengers: Doomsday |
May 1, 2026 |
Marvel Studios |
|
Avengers: Secret Wars |
May 7, 2027 |
Marvel Studios |
|
Marvel Zombies |
TBD |
Marvel Animation |
|
What If…? |
TBD |
Marvel Animation |
10 Blade Didn’t Get Any Updates
Blade Is Still Scheduled To Release On November 7, 2025
Mahershala Ali became one of the biggest focuses of Marvel Studios’ presentation at SDCC 2019 after being confirmed to be bringing Eric Brooks’ Blade into the MCU. However, since then, the much anticipated Blade reboot has been through the most tumultuous production period in the franchise’s history. Numerous writers and two directors have joined and departed the project, leaving its future in jeopardy, and its November 2025 release date unlikely. SDCC 2024 might have been a good place for an update on Blade, but Kevin Feige neglected to address it.
Blade’s SDCC snub was even worse as Feige discussed each of the other MCU movies set to release in 2025, and seemed to suggest that Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps would be the only three movies premiering next year. Recent updates have pointed at Blade taking so long because Marvel Studios simply wants to get it right. Feige most recently commented on Blade in July, so he may not have felt the need to reaffirm his comments to BlackTreeTV and Blavity at SDCC or D23.
For the last few years, as we’ve been trying to crack that movie, the most important thing for us is not rushing it, and making sure we are making the right Blade movie. Because there were some great Blade movies years ago. They were all rated R. So I think that’s inherent – like Deadpool – that’s inherently the character of Blade.
We are committed to the movie, and we’re so committed to it that we’re not going to make it until it’s right. [It] has been frustrating for us and for some fans that it’s taken a while, but we have a writer working on it now. I’ve read half of his new draft, and it’s feeling good so far.
9 Scarlett Johansson’s Secret MCU Project Is Still A Mystery
Scarlett Johansson Recently Confirmed Her Project Is Still In The Works
Shortly after the conclusion of her lawsuit against Disney following Black Widow’s premiere in theaters and on Disney+, Scarlett Johansson was confirmed to once again be working with Marvel, but not as an actor. Kevin Feige revealed at a 2021 American Cinemateque tribute that Johansson was working on “another non-Black Widow-related top-secret Marvel Studios project with her as a producer” (via The Hollywood Reporter). In June 2023, Johansson told Comicbook.com that “it is still happening,” but nothing was revealed at SDCC or D23.
It is still happening. Yes. It is still happening, [but] not currently, because nothing is happening right now. We’re all sort of in this holding pattern as we wait out the writers’ strike and potentially our own guild strike, and so on and so forth… Right before the strike, we were in the middle of developing it, and now everything is at a simmer.
Scarlett Johansson previously portrayed Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow in the MCU, departing the franchise following her demise in Avengers: Endgame and retrospective solo movie, 2021’s Black Widow. Nothing is known about her secret project with Marvel Studios, and SDCC and D23 may have been the perfect place to at least confirm which character would be the focus. Perhaps production isn’t as far along as Feige’s 2021 announcement and Johansson’s 2023 update would suggest.
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8 Vision’s Series Is Set For Release In 2026
Vision’s Upcoming Series Recently Hired Its Showrunner
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The omission of Marvel Television’s upcoming Vision series from SDCC and D23 was even more peculiar, as the series has recently been the subject of some very positive updates. Originally being developed by WandaVision’s Jac Schaeffer, focusing on the white version of Vision introduced in the Phase 4 series, the Vision series lost Schaeffer in May, but hired Star Trek: Picard’s Terry Matalas as showrunner in her place. With filming set to begin soon, and a 2026 release window confirmed by Kevin Feige, it’s curious why the Vision series was ignored at SDCC and D23.
One could surmise that Kevin Feige was only discussing projects scheduled for release in 2024 and 2025 at this year’s SDCC and D23 presentations. Marvel has recently confirmed a slowdown for its production periods and content output, so Feige may have restricted his announcements to only the closest upcoming releases, except for Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Since the Vision series has been given a 2026 release window, it was perhaps ineligible to be addressed during Marvel Studios’ presentations, despite its positive updates.
Related 10 Questions We Want Answered In Vision’s Newly Confirmed MCU Series
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7 Armor Wars’ Development Is Still Uncertain
Armor Wars Hasn’t Had Any Updates Since 2022
Close
Don Cheadle’s James “Rhodey” Rhodes has been in the MCU for almost a decade-and-a-half now, but the development of his first solo movie is still a complete mystery to audiences. Armor Wars was first announced as a Disney+ series in December 2020, but the project’s most recent update was delivered in a September 2022 article from The Hollywood Reporter, revealing Armor Wars would be reworked as a feature film. There hasn’t been a scrap of news since then, and this could have been a missed opportunity at SDCC and D23.
Cheadle returned as Rhodey in 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and 2023’s Secret Invasion, with the latter revealing he had been replaced by a shape-shifting Skrull at an undetermined point in the MCU’s history. This set up some great conflict for Rhodey in Armor Wars, which has been the subject of cancelation speculation. SDCC would have been a great place for Kevin Feige to deliver even a small Armor Wars update, but, again, if Armor Wars is set to release in 2026 or beyond, it may have been ineligible for discussion.
The most popular theory suggests that Rhodey was swapped with the Skrull Raava following his accidental injury in 2016’s
Captain America: Civil War
, meaning Rhodey would be unaware of the events of
Infinity War, Endgame, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
and
Secret Invasion
.
6 Wonder Man Has Been Filmed, So Where Is The News?
Wonder Man Will Be The MCU’s Next Marvel Spotlight Series
Following 2024’s Echo, Wonder Man was revealed to be the next Marvel Spotlight series in the MCU, meaning its wider connection to the franchise would be smaller than other upcoming shows. Wonder Man wrapped filming in April 2024, but very little is yet known about the series, so SDCC or D23 would have been a good chance to reveal more about the project, perhaps even bringing Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Demetrius Grosse and Ed Harris out on stage. This didn’t happen, though, leaving Wonder Man’s status still uncertain.
Developed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton, Wonder Man is expected to be a strong debut for Abdul Mateen II’s Simon Williams. However, it’s unknown when the series will premiere. Its April 2024 wrap date could have suggested a 2025 release, but this would have allowed it to be mentioned by Kevin Feige at SDCC or D23. Wonder Man will break MCU records by being the first live-action series comprising ten episodes – it’s a shame D23 wasn’t used to reveal when audiences might see these.
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5 Spider-Man 4 Couldn’t Be Mentioned By Marvel Studios
Spider-Man 4 Is In Development By Marvel Studios & Sony Pictures
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Sony Pictures Television had a prominent presence at SDCC 2024, but announcements regarding the movie side of the studio were noticeably sparse. This includes the MCU’s upcoming Spider-Man 4, which falls under Sony’s jurisdiction, rather than Marvel Studios, despite being developed more directly by the latter superhero behemoth. Because Sony still owns the rights to Peter Parker’s Spider-Man, Marvel Studios isn’t legally allowed to mention the character’s live-action projects at conventions, meaning Spider-Man 4 was left out.
Kevin Feige did reveal more about
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
at D23, but this series is being produced solely by Marvel Animation, focusing on a variant of the MCU’s Peter Parker, voiced by Hudson Thames.
A director for Spider-Man 4, which is expected to mark the return of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, hasn’t yet been confirmed. Despite this, the movie is thought to begin filming later in the year, so Marvel Studios and Sony must be on the cusp of hiring a director. SDCC could have been the perfect opportunity to announce who would be taking over from Jon Watts as the guardian of the MCU’s Spider-Man franchise. Marvel Studios didn’t have this chance, however, so it seems audiences will need to wait longer for official Spider-Man 4 updates.
4 Nova Could Be One Of The MCU’s Most Anticipated Shows
Kevin Feige Confirmed Nova Would Release Within 3 Or 4 Years
Nova has become one of the upcoming MCU projects that has been given a much longer production period because of Marvel Studios’ scaling back of its production output. Initially announced to be in development in March 2022, with Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight’s Sabir Pirzada writing, Nova was reported to be delayed indefinitely in February 2023 (via The Hollywood Reporter). This meant that any announcements at SDCC or D23 would have been delivered far too early, as it isn’t even clear whether Nova will release in the Multiverse Saga.
Kevin Feige revealed more about Nova’s development during a July interview with Comicbook.com. The Marvel boss suggested the series is still three or four years away, so it seemed very likely that any announcement would be made during this year’s conventions. Richard Rider’s Nova is one of the most powerful and exciting cosmic heroes in the Marvel Universe, so his MCU debut is highly anticipated. Nevertheless, it seems it’ll be a while longer before anything concrete is confirmed about Nova.
It’s happening, it’s coming together. Richard Rider, yep. A show, yeah, yeah. It’s three or four years out.
3 Shang-Chi 2 Deserves To Get An Update
Shang-Chi 2 Is One Of The MCU’s Most Anticipated Projects
Close
While Destin Daniel Cretton has been working on the Wonder Man series, there have also been talks of a direct sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings being produced at Marvel Studios. Deadline suggested Shang-Chi 2 was in development back in December 2021, but very little has been heard about the much-wanted sequel since then. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was one of the most popular projects in the MCU’s Phase 4, so it’s a wonder Marvel Studios didn’t fast-track a sequel ready to be announced at SDCC.
If Shang-Chi 2 releases in the next available slot, which is February 13, 2026, it will have been almost five years since Simu Liu debuted as the master of martial arts. This is far too long to wait to see one of the MCU’s most popular recent heroes reappear, especially since Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ended with a number of important cliffhangers, including the Ten Rings’ mysterious beacon and Xu Xialing’s takeover of the Ten Rings organization. Liu seems to be hopeful that Shang-Chi 2 is moving along, however (via The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon).
It’s definitely happening, I should probably lead with that. People, whether it’s online or in person, ask me every single day and tell me every single day how much they enjoyed the first movie and how much of a moment it was. And I think there’s just so much goodwill, and I’m so deeply appreciative of that... So please know that if you’ve ever sent me a message, if you’ve ever asked about a sequel or just approached or any which way, I really take it to heart, and I really, really appreciate it. I think I speak for myself and Destin [Daniel Cretton], our returning director, when I say that we’re so beyond excited to jump back in.
2 Giancarlo Esposito Teased A Series After Captain America 4
Giancarlo Esposito Will Debut As Seth Voelker’s Sidewinder In Captain America: Brave New World
Close
Giancarlo Esposito had been heavily fan-cast in several MCU roles for a number of years before his official casting in Captain America: Brave New World as Seth Voelker, a.k.a. Sidewinder, the King of the Serpent Society. While Esposito’s MCU debut is incredibly exciting, there are more layers to his introduction in Brave New World, as the actor revealed during May’s Phoenix Fan Fusion event (via Legion of Sand). Esposito suggested his character would be teased in Brave New World, but would then take part in an upcoming MCU series.
Sidewinder doesn’t seem to naturally fit into any announced upcoming series, and Esposito’s comments may have implied that Voelker and the Serpent Society would be the focus of this project. This means that D23 would have been a good place to confirm the development of an upcoming MCU series starring Giancarlo Esposito, but this didn’t occur. Of course, Marvel Studios may be waiting for the character’s official debut in Captain America: Brave New World before making any official announcements.
1 MCU’s X-Men Reboot Is Slowly Moving Forward
Little Is Known About The MCU’s X-Men Reboot
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Perhaps the most highly anticipated project in the MCU’s upcoming slates is the MCU’s official X-Men reboot. Marvel Studios gained the rights to the X-Men following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, and several mutant characters have already been seen in the MCU, most notably in Ms. Marvel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Marvels and Deadpool & Wolverine. However, the X-Men team is still missing from the MCU’s main timeline, and it’s unclear when they might appear.
Kevin Feige teased the MCU’s X-Men movie during several previous SDCC presentations, but 2024’s ignored the mutant superhero group. In May, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes writer Michael Lesslie was reported to be in talks to pen the script for X-Men (via Deadline), but there has been no news since then. It’s thought that the X-Men reboot won’t release until after the Multiverse Saga’s conclusion, so it may be premature for any major updates, though it still would have been great to see this huge property addressed at SDCC or D23.
Related The X-Men’s Future In The MCU Just Got Very Messy
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1
There Are Other Unconfirmed Projects Thought To Be In Development For The MCU
Close
Marvel Studios has often taken the opportunity of the avid audiences of SDCC and D23 to announce a slew of new projects, but this pattern was also broken in 2024. There are several as-yet-unconfirmed movies and TV shows that many expected would be announced for the MCU’s future, but didn’t receive any mention at all, so it’s still uncertain whether these projects will be developed, or if they’re simply speculation. Major sequels such as Doctor Strange 3, Thor 5 and Black Panther 3 have been rumored, but their development is still unclear.
The same goes for possible second seasons of popular Disney+ shows, including Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Marvel Studios also seems to have been setting the stage for projects such as World War Hulk, Young Avengers and Midnight Sons, but there has been no official confirmation of these being developed. Elizabeth Olsen’s return as Wanda Maximoff was also speculated to be announced at SDCC, perhaps in a dedicated Scarlet Witch movie, but her absence from the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to continue indefinitely.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
Created by Kevin Feige Upcoming Films Deadpool & Wolverine , Captain America: Brave New World , Thunderbolts (2025) , Blade (2025) , The Fantastic Four (2025) , Avengers 5 , Avengers: Secret Wars Upcoming TV Shows Agatha: Coven of Chaos , Ironheart , Daredevil: Born Again , Wakanda , Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man , Marvel Zombies , Wonder Man , Vision Quest
Upcoming MCU Movies
- Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date February 14, 2025
- Thunderbolts*
Release Date May 2, 2025
- The Fantastic Four (2025)
Release Date July 25, 2025
- Blade (2025)
Release Date November 7, 2025
- Avengers: Doomsday
Release Date May 1, 2026
- Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date May 7, 2027