Summary
- Movies like Blade, the MCU’s X-Men reboot, and upcoming Phase 6 projects were not touched on at SDCC or D23.
- Marvel failed to provide updates about the release dates of upcoming animated shows and the TV future of Wonder Man, Vision Quest, Nova, or the Netflix Defenders characters.
- Despite exciting announcements at SDCC, Marvel did not confirm which heroes would be in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, nor whether Kang would play a role or not.
Updates about the Marvel Cinematic Universe came thick and fast at 2024’s San Diego Comic-Con and D23, yet there were a handful of elements Marvel Studios refused to shed light on at both conventions. For Marvel Studios and the MCU, the biggest movie reveals came at San Diego Comic-Con. The dedicated Hall H panel saw Kevin Feige and his many guests focus on Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the three most immediate projects on Marvel’s list of upcoming movies.
Marvel’s MCU reveals at D23 then offered more of an insight into upcoming TV projects, from Agatha All Along and Daredevil: Born Again to Ironheart. Similarly, a panel at D23 focused entirely on Marvel’s upcoming TV shows in the animated realm, including the highly-rated X-Men ’97 and the Black Panther spin-off, Eyes of Wakanda. Although these two events gave Kevin Feige the opportunity to divulge a lot of information about the immediate future of the MCU, there are several aspects of the franchise that Marvel failed to comment on.
10 Updates About The MCU’s Blade Reboot
SDCC 2024 Mentioned Every Marvel Movie From 2025, Apart From One
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As alluded to, Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 saw a focus placed on the movie projects set for release in 2025. However, one Marvel movie slated for 2025received no attention at all at SDCC or D23: Blade. Blade is still set for release in November 2025, meaning Marvel should have focused on the movie alongside Captain America 4, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four. That said, Blade has suffered from a tumultuous production where the other three have not, meaning it was brushed under the rug and removed from SDCC and D23.
Marvel could have utilized SDCC and D23 to put minds at ease that
Blade
would still go ahead…
This is unfortunate, as the Blade reboot is one of the MCU’s most anticipated future projects. Given its troubled production, Marvel could have utilized SDCC and D23 to put minds at ease that Blade would still go ahead. This could have been done by announcing a new director after the previous two attached filmmakers departed the project, and confirming who is writing the film’s final draft after multiple writing teams have come and gone. Finally, the bare minimum announcement for Marvel could have been confirmation that Blade will be released in November 2025 or pushed back to a new date.
Blade (2025) ActionSuperheroFantasyHorror
Marvel Studios’ Blade sees the return of the iconic vampire hunter more than two decades after Wesley Snipes first played the character in live-action. Starring Mahershala Ali as Eric Brooks, the Blade reboot officially introduces vampires to the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Eternals’ second post-credits scene teased the Daywalker’s MCU debut. Ali is accompanied by Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre in Yann Demange’s 2024 dark superhero movie.
Release Date November 7, 2025 Cast Mahershala Ali , Delroy Lindo , Aaron Pierre Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe
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9 Updates About The MCU’s X-Men Reboot
The New Era Of The X-Men Was Left Untouched
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Another aspect of Marvel’s movie future that was left in the dark at SDCC and D23 concerned the X-Men. Marvel’s MCU X-Men movie has been in development for a while, with the only update being that Michael Lesslie will pen the script. As such, potential updates were expected at either event given the centrality of both to Marvel’s marketing. While X-Men ’97 received a focus, the MCU’s X-Men movie did not have a presence at either SDCC or D23.
This came as somewhat of a surprise given that both events fell after the release of Deadpool & Wolverine. Kevin Feige recently stated that the Phase 5 film will begin the so-called “Mutant Era” of the MCU, hinting that SDCC and D23 could provide an insight into what this era entails. As evident, though, audiences will have to wait longer for more concrete news about the return of the X-Men to the big screen under Marvel Studios’ banner.
Marvel’s X-Men ActionSuperhero
Marvel’s X-Men is the tentative title for the future debut of the legendary Marvel mutant superhero team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Studio(s) Marvel Studios Distributor(s) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Writers Michael Lesslie Franchise(s) Marvel
8 Will Kang The Conqueror Play Any Part In Avengers: Doomsday?
San Diego Comic-Con Saw Kang Replaced In The MCU, But Does He Have A Future At All?
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|
Marvel’s SDCC 2024 Updates About Avengers 5 |
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The Russo Brothers will return to direct |
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Retitled from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday |
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Doctor Doom will be the main villain, played by Robert Downey Jr. |
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Stephen McFeely will write the script |
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Releasing May 1, 2026 |
The biggest surprise announcements at SDCC 2024 centered around Avengers: Doomsday, the fifth movie in the MCU sub-franchise. The title change and switch in villain revealed the aftermath of Kang actor Jonathan Majors’ assault charges, with the news of RDJ’s return proving to be a divisive choice. As the dust settled on the major announcement, one of the burning questions was how Kang the Conqueror would be written out of future Avengers films after projects like Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania teased his major villain role.
Despite this question being on everyone’s mind, Marvel Studios did not comment on Kang’s future at SDCC or D23. One of the potential options is for Marvel to recast the role of Kang and have him work alongside Doom, with the latter now the main villain as opposed to the former. Another option is to have Kang’s many villainous variants killed by Doom to establish the new MCU antagonist as a major threat. Regardless, Marvel did not reveal if either of these options – or any others – would be taken, or if Kang would be removed from the MCU’s future entirely.
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7 The Avengers Line-Up For Avengers: Doomsday & Avengers: Secret Wars
Which MCU Heroes Will Face Off Against Doctor Doom?
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The big announcements at SDCC about Avengers 5 & 6 primarily centered around the return of Robert Downey Jr. and the Russo Brothers. Other than this, it was confirmed that the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps would be part of both movies. Although this casting news is exciting, Marvel has yet to confirm which heroes from the mainline MCU will be part of the titular Avengers team in Doomsday and Secret Wars.
Only Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange has been confirmed for Avengers 5 and 6, with the actor confirming as such himself.
Neither SDCC nor D23 saw Marvel’s representatives comment about the remainder of the cast for Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars. Whether heroes like Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, or other mainstay MCU characters will return is unclear, meaning Marvel will likely not comment on such a topic until 2025. The MCU’s next Avengers line-up can be theorized and guessed, but it remains an unconfirmed element for now, even after SDCC and D23 2024.
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6 The Rest Of The MCU’s Phase 6 Movie Slate
Marvel’s Phase 6 Slate Remains Admittedly Empty
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MCU Phase 6 Movies |
Release Dates |
|---|---|
|
The Fantastic Four: First Steps |
July 25, 2025 |
|
Blade |
November 7, 2025 |
|
Avengers: Doomsday |
May 1, 2026 |
|
Avengers: Secret Wars |
May 7, 2027 |
As evidenced by Marvel’s four confirmed Phase 6 movies thus far, there is room for a lot more. If Marvel Studios sticks to previous release schedules, there will likely be a movie nestled between Blade and Avengers: Doomsday, likely in February 2026. Similarly, two other movies could be placed between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars in the fall months of 2026 and February or March 2027.
Bob Iger confirmed Marvel will switch back to familiar franchises, meaning announcements of
Thor 5
or
Black Panther 3
were also expected for Phase 6…
Despite these gaps in Marvel’s Phase 6 slate, which projects would fill them were not confirmed at SDCC or D23 2024. Many were expecting announcements of other upcoming movies, be it Shang-Chi 2 or Doctor Strange 3. Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed Marvel will switch back to familiar franchises, meaning announcements of Thor 5 or Black Panther 3 were also expected for Phase 6. However, none of these movies were confirmed by Marvel at either of 2024’s major events, throwing the future of Phase 6 into uncertainty.
5 Updates About The MCU’s Spider-Man 4
Tom Holland’s Next MCU Adventure Remains In Doubt
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Where Phase 6’s unconfirmed movies are concerned, perhaps the most anticipated is the next installment in Spider-Man’s MCU timeline. Since Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s release in 2021, little of note has been revealed about the MCU’s Spider-Man 4 project aside from its early development. The frustrating lack of updates about the film continued at SDCC and D23 2024, with Marvel Studios opting not to mention anything regarding Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
The reason for this likely stems from the studio’s ongoing deal with Sony Pictures. Sony still owns the rights to the character of Spider-Man, meaning updates about Spider-Man 4 will likely be provided by that studio as opposed to Marvel. That said, this does not mean Feige could not have given any hint at Holland’s MCU future, yet nothing came at either 2024 event. Instead, audiences are left in limbo regarding Spider-Man 4‘s MCU story, with Holland’s next appearance remaining unknown.
Spider-Man Homecoming 4
Spider-Man: Homecoming 4 is the first sequel to the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland as the titular wall-crawler. After wiping his identity for the public’s memory in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker continues his crime-fighting adventures without the aid of Iron Man technology or the support of his former allies.
Studio(s) Columbia Pictures , Marvel Studios , Pascal Pictures Distributor(s) Sony Cast Tom Holland , Zendaya , Jacob Batalon prequel(s) Spider-Man: Homecoming , Spider-Man: Far From Home , Spider-Man: No Way Home
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4 Release Dates For Upcoming Animated Projects
D23 Offered Everything Except Release Dates For Marvel’s Animated Shows
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Marvel’s animated TV slate is almost as stacked as that of live-action projects, with D23 providing many updates for the former. A dedicated panel for Marvel’s animated shows was present at the convention, allowing updates about Eyes of Wakanda, X-Men ’97 season 2, What If…? season 3, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and Marvel Zombies to be provided. However, a crucial part of each show was left absent from Marvel’s animation panel.
The element in question was their release dates. None of the upcoming animated shows from Marvel have confirmed release dates, even Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which was previously expected to begin streaming in 2024. While most of the shows will be released at some point in 2025, it would have been appreciated if Marvel had confirmed this, giving excited fans an insight into when the anticipated installments into the MCU’s vast sandbox can be expected.
3 Updates About Other Live-Action MCU TV Shows
Marvel’s Other Live-Action Disney+ Projects Received No Spotlight
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Other Upcoming MCU TV Shows |
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Wonder Man |
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Vision Quest |
|
Nova |
Aside from Agatha All Along, Daredevil: Born Again, and Ironheart, there are other live-action MCU Disney+ shows in development. These include, but are not limited to, Wonder Man, Vision Quest, and the untitled Nova series. While the former three received a spotlight at D23, the latter three were not mentioned at all, nor were they at SDCC 2024.
It is unclear as of yet when Wonder Man will be released, though this announcement was expected given that it wrapped filming in April 2024 and has been in post-production since. Vision Quest and Nova are admittedly further behind in the production process, though it would have been nice to receive updates on their status and possible release dates. Finally, there are likely shows that were placed in development after Marvel’s TV overhaul that have not been confirmed, yet these were not featured at SDCC or D23 either.
2 Updates About Other Netflix Marvel Characters
Daredevil Was A Focus Of D23, But His Defenders Costars Were Not
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One of the focuses for Marvel at D23 was Daredevil: Born Again and its cast. Charlie Cox, Jon Bernthal, Vincent D’Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, and Elden Henson were all present to promote the 2025 Marvel TV show, complete with exciting footage shown only to those in attendance. While this was undoubtedly exciting, it shed light on the fact that Marvel did not comment on another aspect of Daredevil: Born Again‘s universe.
Daredevil: Born Again is a sequel to Netflix’s Daredevil series, meaning it and the other Defenders shows are essentially canon to the MCU. However, SDCC and D23 did not feature updates about the other main characters of the Defenders Saga. Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist were not mentioned in any of Marvel’s extensive panels, casting doubt over whether they will appear in the show or any other MCU project in the future.
Daredevil: Born Again
After Charlie Cox’s cameo appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home and supporting role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Daredevil: Born Again gives Matt Murdock his first show set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Daredevil: Born Again, composed of 18 episodes, serves as the spiritual successor to Netflix’s three-season Daredevil series and adapts its characters to the MCU’s main continuity while establishing a new beginning for the superhero lawyer.
Cast Charlie Cox , Vincent D’Onofrio Release Date January 1, 2024 Seasons 1 Streaming Service(s) Disney+
2:16 
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1 Updates About Marvel’s Special Presentation Projects
Marvel’s Underutilized Project Type Is Yet To Have A Clear Future
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On top of Marvel Studios’ movies, Marvel Televisions’ TV shows, and Marvel Animations’ various projects, there are also Marvel Studios’ Special Presentations. These were utilized in 2022 thanks to Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, often serving as short films that are not necessarily vital to the MCU’s overarching story, but provide context and character development in a new, interesting, and unique way. Since the release of the latter, however, Marvel Studios’ Special Presentations have not been a part of the MCU’s repertoire.
Interestingly, Kevin Feige confirmed that the Special Presentations would continue in an interview with Collider, around a week before SDCC 2024. This led many to expect updates on how the Special Presentations would continue when they would be released, and what characters they would focus on. Unfortunately, SDCC and D23 were short on these announcements, meaning it is unclear when this section of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will continue.
Related 10 Marvel Characters & Teams That Should Star In An MCU Special Presentation
MCU fans are very eager for more Special Presentations like Werewolf by Night and these characters are the best fit for the format.
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