Here's what we learned about the future of the MCU at Marvel's Hulk-sized Comic-Con 2022 panel
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Welcome to Marvel's ever-growing multiverse of madness.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige took over Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, teasing years (and years!) of superhero content. It's the first time the studio has returned to SDCC since its massive 2019 panel, and Marvel did not disappoint, with Feige sharing news about dozens of new projects for both the big screen and the small.
Here, EW breaks down everything you need to know about what we'll all be watching for the next several years — including Phase 4, Phase 5, Phase 6, and beyond.
She-Hulk lawyers up
CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images The cast and creators of 'She-Hulk: Attorney At Law,' on stage at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.
Feige ran through the next several years of planned Marvel projects, stretching far into the distant future. The first series on the docket is Disney+'s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (out Aug. 17), a half-hour legal comedy about the mean, green lawyer Jennifer Walters, played by Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany. Created by Jessica Gao, the series follows Jennifer as she juggles her day job and newfound Hulk powers, all with a bit of help from her cousin Bruce, played by a returning Mark Ruffalo.
"We have some amazing cameos," Gao teased. "I think you know some of them. We've got Mark Ruffalo as Smart Hulk, we've got Tim Roth as Abomination, we've got [Benedict] Wong as Wong. And taking this show, bringing it to life was about living up to the Marvel bar. Creating something cinematic, funny, action-packed, and of course, filled with cameos. I won't say anymore."
Marvel also publicly released a new trailer for the show — which appears to tease an appearance by another famous Marvel lawyer (more on him in a minute). Watch the trailer and read more about She-Hulk here.
Cobie Smulders spilled secrets about Secret Invasion
Jesse Grant/Getty Images Cobie Smulders teases Marvel's 'Secret Invasion' at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.
Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders have been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years; now, they're stepping into the spotlight with their own Disney+ series, Secret Invasion. Based on the legendary comics storyline of the same name, the show finds our former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents trying to fend off a plot by shapeshifting Skrulls to infiltrate powerful organizations across the globe. The cast also includes Ben Mendelsohn, Olivia Colman, Emilia Clarke, and Kingsley Ben-Adir.
"This is a darker show," Smulders told the audience on Saturday. "We're going to get deeper into the characters. We're going to see them in new ways, and it's going to be an exciting thriller, and you're never going to know who people are. Are they a Skrull? Are they a human? It's going to be a bit of a guessing game." Read all about Secret Invasion here.
Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio will return for a new Daredevil
David Lee/Netflix Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in 'Daredevil'
Remember when we mentioned that superpowered lawyer-slash-vigilante? Feige officially confirmed that Charlie Cox's Daredevil will return, this time starring in a new series for Disney+ called Daredevil: Born Again. Also returning? His nemesis Kingpin, played by Vincent D'Onofrio.
It's been several years since Netflix canceled its Marvel shows — including Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist — and fans have long wondered whether Disney might revisit Hell's Kitchen any time soon. The studio only fueled rumors when Cox popped up for a cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, while D'Onofrio had a surprise role on Hawkeye.
Feige also told the Comic-Con audience that the first season will be 18 episodes long — a major shift from the recent short series that have aired on Disney+. Read more about Daredevil: Born Again here.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 presses play
CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images Director James Gunn and the cast of 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' on stage at San Diego Comic-Con.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 brought a little rock & roll to Hall H, with director James Gunn and the cast showcasing some exclusive footage. Gunn got emotional on stage as he spoke about his long journey with the Guardians, adding that he first pitched Feige and Louis D'Esposito on the first film exactly 10 years ago. Gunn said he's always had an ending in mind for the trilogy, and told the audience that the third and final film will focus on Rocket's origin story.
"I fell in love with these characters," Gunn told the audience. "They aren't really superheroes. They're sort of outer space adventurers, but they're really just a bunch of oddball weirdos, like all of us. They've saved the universe a couple of times, but really, they save each other. When I started telling that story, I sort of had an end in sight."
Vol. 3 will see the return of Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, and Pom Klementieff as Mantis. There are also a few new faces: Borat breakout Maria Bakalova will play Cosmo the Space Dog, while Adam Poulter will star as the all-gold Adam Warlock.
Finally, Chukwudi Iwuji crashed the panel in character as the High Evolutionary — the notorious creator of Adam Warlock. Read more about his appearance (and the entire Guardians presentation) here.
Big (and small) news with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Kevin Winter/Getty Images The cast of 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' on stage at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.
Feige told the crowd that the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will mark the end of Marvel's Phase 4 (more on that in a minute). Phase 5 will begin in 2023 with the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp introducing a new (but familiar) villain.
Director Peyton Reed was joined by stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Kathryn Newton, and Jonathan Majors to introduce a little footage from the film. The biggest reveal was Majors as Kang the Conquerer. Although we saw a variant version of Kang in Loki, he appears to be at full power here. Majors was tight-lipped about his villain, but he did give a cryptic tease: "There will be conquering."
Later on, Feige looked ahead to Phase 6, revealing that the next era will end with two back-to-back Avengers movies: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars — meaning we definitely haven't seen the last of Majors' big bad. Read more on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (including that surprise Billy Murray cameo) here.
Multiversal madness
Jesse Grant/Getty Images Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige on stage at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.
The last time Feige was on stage in Hall H, it was the end of Marvel's decade-long Infinity Saga, concluding with Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. This time, Feige had some new details to share about the future, revealing that Phases 4, 5, and 6 are all part of the Multiverse Saga. (To prove it, he even swapped out his Loki Miss Minutes baseball cap for a "Multiverse Saga" one.)
Phase 5 will kick off with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and stretch across 2023 and 2024. Feige also confirmed release dates for a few long-rumored projects, including the newly retitled Agatha Harkness Disney+ spinoff Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Mahershala Ali's long-awaited Blade movie.
Here's the full release schedule for Marvel Phase 5, which will end with a Thunderbolts movie.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Feb. 17, 2023)
Secret Invasion (spring 2023)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5, 2023)
Loki season 2 (summer 2023
Echo (summer 2023)
The Marvels (July 28, 2023)
Blade (Nov. 3, 2023)
Ironheart (Fall 2023)
Agatha: Coven of Chaos (winter 2023/2024)
Captain America: New World Order (May 3, 2024)
Daredevil: Born Again (spring 2024)
Thunderbolts (July 26, 2024)
Later, the much-hyped Fantastic Four movie will kick off Phase 6 on Nov. 8, 2024, before concluding with The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever paid tribute to Chadwick Boseman
Kevin Winter/Getty The cast of 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' on stage at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.
Marvel saved the most emotional moment for the end, introducing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with a powerful musical performance. Soon, director Ryan Coogler stepped on stage to debut the first trailer and pay tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, who originated the role of T'Challa.
"Five years ago, I sat about right there, and we premiered the first footage from Black Panther," Coogler told the audience. "Sitting next to me, right to my left, was our T'Challa, the late great Chadwick Boseman. The cast, including Chad, hadn't seen the footage yet, so when we played it, he was right next to me, and he was excited, and he grabbed my shoulders."
"I promise you I can feel his hand on me now," Coogler continued. "Chad is no longer with us physically, but his spirit, his passion, his genius, his pride, his culture, and the impact that he made on this industry will be felt forever. We put our love for Chadwick into this film."
Coogler was then joined on stage by returning cast members Lupita Nyong'o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Letitia Wright (Shuri), Winston Duke (M'Baku), and Florence Kasumba (Ayo). He went on to introduce several of the film's new cast members, including Tenoch Huerta as the legendary underwater King Namor, Michaela Coel as Aneka, and Dominique Thorne as teenage tech genius Riri Williams (who'll be starring in her own show, Ironheart, in 2023).
Read the full breakdown of the Wakanda Forever presentation here.
Related content:
James Gunn says he needed to finish Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for Rocket
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law cast and producer on what to expect from Marvel's 'slice of life' comedy
Marvel's Phase 6 to cap a 'Multiverse Saga' with Avengers movies The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars
Anthony Mackie's Captain America movie gets New World Order title and 2024 release
Blade with Mahershala Ali carves out 2023 release date in Marvel's Phase 5
