Summary
Updates about theMarvel Cinematic Universecame thick and fast at 2024’sSan Diego Comic-ConandD23, yet there were a handful of elements Marvel Studios refused to shed light on at both conventions. For Marvel Studios and the MCU, thebiggest movie reveals came at San Diego Comic-Con. The dedicated Hall H panel saw Kevin Feige and his many guests focus onCaptain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*,andThe Fantastic Four: First Steps,the three most immediate projects onMarvel’s list of upcoming movies.
Marvel’s MCU reveals at D23then offered more of an insight into upcoming TV projects, fromAgatha All AlongandDaredevil: Born AgaintoIronheart. Similarly, a panel at D23 focused entirely onMarvel’s upcoming TV showsin the animated realm, including the highly-ratedX-Men ‘97and theBlack Pantherspin-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.
10Updates About The MCU’s Blade Reboot
SDCC 2024 Mentioned Every Marvel Movie From 2025, Apart From One
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.Bladeis still set for release in November 2025, meaning Marvel should have focused on the movie alongsideCaptain America 4, Thunderbolts*,andThe Fantastic Four. That said,Bladehas 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 thatBladewould still go ahead…
This is unfortunate, as theBladereboot 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 thatBladewould 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 thatBladewill be released in November 2025 or pushed back to a new date.
Blade
Cast
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.
New Blade Movie: Cast, Release Date & Everything We Know
Marvel’s new Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali is moving forward, and here’s everything we know about the MCU film’s release date, cast, and story.
9Updates About The MCU’s X-Men Reboot
The New Era Of The X-Men Was Left Untouched
Another aspect of Marvel’s movie future that was left in the dark at SDCC and D23 concerned the X-Men.Marvel’s MCUX-Menmoviehas 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. WhileX-Men ‘97received a focus,the MCU’sX-Menmovie 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 ofDeadpool & 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
Marvel’s X-Men is the tentative title for the future debut of the legendary Marvel mutant superhero team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Russo Brothers will return to direct
Retitled from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday
Doctor Doom will be the main villain, played by Robert Downey Jr.
Stephen McFeely will write the script
Releasing July 01, 2025
The biggest surprise announcements at SDCC 2024 centered aroundAvengers: Doomsday, the fifth movie in the MCU sub-franchise. The title change and switch in villain revealed the aftermath ofKang 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 futureAvengersfilms after projects likeLokiandAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniateased 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.
Avengers: Doomsday - Release Date, Cast, & Story Details
Avengers: Doomsday promises to bring an unprecedented kind of story to the forefront of the MCU, complete with one very important villain.
7The Avengers Line-Up For Avengers: Doomsday & Avengers: Secret Wars
Which MCU Heroes Will Face Off Against Doctor Doom?
The big announcements at SDCC aboutAvengers 5&6primarily centered around the return of Robert Downey Jr. and the Russo Brothers. Other than this, it was confirmed that the cast ofThe Fantastic Four: First Stepswould 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 inDoomsdayandSecret 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 forAvengers: DoomsdayorSecret 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.
Avengers: Secret Wars: Release Date, Plot Details & Everything We Know
The culmination of phases 4, 5, and 6 of the MCU will be in Avengers: Secret Wars. Here’s everything to know about the sixth Avengers movie.
Avengers: Secret Wars
August 23, 2025
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 betweenBladeandAvengers: Doomsday, likely in February 2026. Similarly, two other movies could be placed betweenAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warsin the fall months of 2026 and February or March 2027.
Bob Iger confirmed Marvel will switch back to familiar franchises, meaning announcements ofThor 5orBlack Panther 3were 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 itShang-Chi 2orDoctor Strange 3. Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed Marvel will switch back to familiar franchises, meaning announcements ofThor 5orBlack Panther 3were 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.
5Updates About The MCU’s Spider-Man 4
Tom Holland’s Next MCU Adventure Remains In Doubt
Where Phase 6’s unconfirmed movies are concerned, perhaps the most anticipated is the next installment inSpider-Man’s MCU timeline. SinceSpider-Man: No Way Home’s release in 2021, little of note has been revealed about the MCU’sSpider-Man 4project 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 aboutSpider-Man 4will 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 regardingSpider-Man 4’s MCU story, with Holland’s next appearance remaining unknown.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the first sequel to the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland as the titular wall-crawler. After wiping his identity from 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.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day: Cast, Story, & Everything We Know
After Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel and Sony have an even bigger task to make Spider-Man 4, but will Tom Holland return and would it be in the MCU?
4Release Dates For Upcoming Animated Projects
D23 Offered Everything Except Release Dates For Marvel’s Animated Shows
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 aboutEyes of Wakanda,X-Men ‘97season 2,What If…?season 3,Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, andMarvel Zombiesto 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, evenYour 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.
Vision Quest
Nova
Aside fromAgatha All Along,Daredevil: Born Again,andIronheart, there are other live-actionMCU Disney+ showsin development. These include, but are not limited to,Wonder Man, Vision Quest, and the untitledNovaseries. 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 whenWonder Manwill be released, though this announcement was expected given that it wrapped filming in April 2024 and has been in post-production since.Vision QuestandNovaare 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.
2Updates About Other Netflix Marvel Characters
Daredevil Was A Focus Of D23, But His Defenders Costars Were Not
One of the focuses for Marvel at D23 wasDaredevil: Born Againand 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 ofDaredevil: Born Again’s universe.
Daredevil: Born Againis a sequel to Netflix’sDaredevilseries, meaning it and the otherDefendersshows are essentially canon to the MCU. However,SDCC and D23 did not feature updates about the other main characters of theDefendersSaga. 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
Daredevil: Born Again follows blind lawyer Matt Murdock, who uses his heightened abilities to pursue justice in New York. As he manages a bustling law firm, former mob boss Wilson Fisk navigates political ambitions, leading both men toward a confrontation as their pasts resurface.
Daredevil & The Defenders Complete Timeline: What Order To Watch
The Netflix Marvel shows are on Disney+. With Daredevil: Born Again on the way, here’s the full watch order for The Defenders shows and The Punisher.
1Updates About Marvel’s Special Presentation Projects
Marvel’s Underutilized Project Type Is Yet To Have A Clear Future
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 toWerewolf by NightandThe 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 withCollider, 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 theMarvel Cinematic Universewill continue.
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.
