Marvel Studios returned to San Diego Comic-Con with a dancing variant of Deadpool and a choir, followed by a panel that included news about the next two Avengers films and surprise guests including Harrison Ford and Robert Downey Jr. Robert is returning to Marvel movies, but not as Iron Man. (Also read: Chris Hemsworth gets a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame; Robert Downey Jr. pokes fun at him with help from Avengers cast)
donny is dr doom
Roberts will play the villain Victor Von Doom, or Doctor Doom, in at least one upcoming Avengers film. Downey kicked off Marvel’s movie success with Iron Man and played the popular character in nine films, but on Saturday he appeared wearing Dr. Doom’s mask and green cape. “New mask, same thing,” Downey said to frenzied cheers.
The session made no mention of Jonathan Majors, who played the villain Kang the Conqueror and was previously a major part of Marvel’s Avengers plans. The actor was fired from the studio in December after pleading guilty to charges of assaulting an ex-girlfriend. In April he was sentenced to a one-year counseling program and avoided prison.
The Return of the Russo Brothers
Not just Robert Downey Jr, but his Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame directors Anthony and Joe Russo aka the Russo Brothers will also be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They will be directing the next two Avengers films – Doomsday and Secret Wars. The brothers guided the Avengers franchise through its elaborate storyline culminating in Avengers: Endgame in 2019, which also included the death of Downey’s Tony Stark/Iron Man character.
“When we directed Avengers: Endgame, Joe and I truly believed that this was the final stop for us in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, because we put all our passion, our love, our imagination into The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Infinity War, and it all culminated with Avengers: Endgame,” said Anthony Russo. “That run of four films was incredible and it kept us creatively engaged with all our emotions on film. From that point on, through a very special story, Joe and I have been able to potentially look forward to what’s next with you.”
He called Secret Wars “the greatest story Marvel Comics has ever told,” and Joe said it was the first comic book he read as a child that made him “fall in love with comics.”
Captain America’s villain revealed
The cast of Captain America: Brave New World – Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez and Anthony Mackie – were the first to join the stage and give details about the upcoming film. Giancarlo revealed that he will be playing the villain Seth Volker, also known as Sidewinder.
The cast then stepped aside and a scene from the film was shown on a big screen, showing President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by Harrison Ford, hoping to rebuild the Avengers with Mackie’s Sam Wilson. It also showed Ford’s character transforming into the Red Hulk. After fans were shown clips from the film, Ford joined the panel and showed off his muscles to the crowd.
Thunderbolts Revealed
The Thunderbolts cast and director also surprised fans with a short clip from the film. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour (in full costume and speaking in character as the first Red Guardian) hit the stage and shared some more details about their characters. The film is set to be released in May 2025.
Fantastic Four title revealed
The last film teased at the panel was The Fantastic Four, starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed that filming will begin in London on Tuesday.
He added that the film would hit theaters roughly a year later in July 2025. Director Matt Shakman created a video exclusively for Comic-Con featuring the cast in full ’60s glory, after which he and Kevin revealed the film’s official title, The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
