Highlights from Marvel Studios’ Hall H Panel at SDCC

Marvel’s Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con is always a spectacle, with big guests, stunts, and announcements, and this year was no exception. The panel started off strong with a choir dressed in red and yellow taking the stage to sing “Like a Prayer.” Various Deadpool variants (including a Bob Ross Deadpool, which Kevin Feige seemed especially taken with) also danced around the room, which held over six thousand people. Feige took to the stage to celebrate two milestones — Deadpool & Wolverine having the biggest opening for an R-rated film ever and the fact that they broke a Guinness World Record for the biggest drone show for a fictional character after their special Celebration of Life panel on Thursday.

Not too long was spent on that, however, as Feige was quick to point out that Comic-Con was about looking toward the future. More specifically, the three movies that are coming out next year — Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and Fantastic Four — which Rob Delaney moderated a lively conversation about, the crowd hanging on every word and bursting into cheers with every reveal.

First up was Captain America, which was said to be inspired by the grounded nature that Winter Soldier brought. Anthony Mackie mentioned that Sam brings a more cerebral and thoughtful energy to the character — but had no problem defending himself when Danny Ramirez, who’s taking up the Falcon mantle, joked that he thought his wings would come with knee braces since they’re a little older. Mackie also took some shots at Tom Holland, who had long been teasing him for not having his own film. Tim Blake Nelson was happy to be back, and Giancarlo Esposito was excited to be joining as King of the Serpent Society, Sidewinder, which he credits fan casting for making happen.

An exclusive clip was played featuring Harrison Ford, who plays President Thaddeus Ross, briefing a group at the White House about adamantium that was discovered. Though they’ve squabbled over things before, he says, this element belongs to all of them. Ross thanks Captain America (Mackie), welcoming him to the White House and telling him that, while they haven’t always agreed in the past, he wants his help — his help rebuilding the Avengers, to be more precise. Sam is predictably confused, considering the Sokovia Accords of it all, but Ross says half of the country wouldn’t even be here without them.

Things then take a turn for the intense, with Sidewinder scheming and shooting and Sam meeting with Ross and an ambitious woman named Ruth (Shira Haas), who Ross clearly trusts. To top it off, we see Ross turning into Red Hulk behind the presidential podium.

Fans at the con were then treated to Ford giving his best Red Hulk impression. That’s right: Ford took to the stage to surprise the audience. Ford paid homage to the late William Hurt, who had played the role up to this point in the MCU. Harrison described the experience as a “delight,” noting that he was proud to be part of the Marvel Universe, as he’s been watching actors have a good time for years and wanted a piece of the action himself.

Next up was Thunderbolts*. No luck on finding out what that asterisk means, but rest assured, there were still plenty of exciting revelations during this segment of the panel. David Harbour was having the time of his life, hamming it up in Alexei’s Russian accent and entering through the audience instead of the stage like his co-stars. He and Sebastian Stan both gushed over how much they loved working with Florence Pugh, and Stan compared still being in the MCU after all this time to being like a cat with nine lives — “How many are left?”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus teased that Valentina is looking for “power and control” and that she wants to kick ass. And speaking of kicking ass, Pugh shouted out their hardworking stunt doubles on the film. She and Harbour went on to describe Yelena and Alexei’s dynamic in the film as complex, promising humor, warmth, and pathos. He’s a narcissist, after all, and Yelena’s dedicated to killing people — not a great combo, Harbour teases.

And luckily, we got to see some of that complicated dynamic firsthand in an exclusive clip, which shows Yelena knocking on Alexei’s door. Alexei’s essentially rotting, lounging around and threatening to report the person interrupting him to DoorDash HQ. But when he hears it’s Yelena, he pretends to have it together, keeping busy and being fulfilled. Or rather, “so full, so filled.” Yelena is a bit more truthful, admitting that she feels empty and without purpose. Johnny Walker (Wyatt Russell) may have found part of his, however, as he’s seen to have a child now.

We then see Yelena showing up at a warehouse, getting into a cool fight sequence with the rest of whom will presumably become the Thunderbolts — including Walker, Bob (Lewis Pullman), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), the latter two of which have new costumes. When Yelena finds out their identities and jobs, she puts the pieces together and determines that somebody lured them there because they want all of them gone. Enter: Valentina at a lavish dinner celebration with Loki’s scepter on display. We hear a voiceover where she says, “There are bad guys, and there are worse guys.”

The clip ends with Alexei driving a car and giving a signature rousing speech about how they can “be the heroes on the Wheaties box.” Yelena is unamused and uninspired, telling the others to ignore him — after all, that’s what she does.

Even though the upcoming film hasn’t even started filming yet, Marvel had quite a bit to say about The Fantastic Four’s MCU debut, which includes a brand-new title. The highly anticipated film will now be titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps, likely alluding to the movie’s space-age theming. Even though filming begins in a mere few days overseas, not only did director Matt Shakman make an appearance in Hall H, but the main cast of Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn stopped by as well.

The new information shared about The Fantastic Four: First Steps also definitively reveals where, and also when, the movie takes place. The Fantastic Four: First Steps will take place in the 1960s, but not just any 1960s. A technologically advanced, retrofuturistic vision of the 1960s, potentially indicating that the film takes place in an alternate universe.

While filming hasn’t taken place yet, Matt Shakman and the cast still took the time to record some exciting new footage, giving fans a glimpse as to what they can expect to see. Edited and shot to look like a 1960s sizzle reel, the footage shows Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) teaching an educational television show, The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) being a contestant on a dating show, and a documentary of the main four members starting their attempt into outer space.

After the reel’s title card and an exciting orchestral theme from the film’s composer, Michael Giacchino, we also get a look at the film’s literal big bad. The last thing the footage shows is the hulking celestial figure that is Galactus (Ralph Ineson). The massive titan can be seen peering into a window, officially assuring fans that Galactus will appear in his comic accurate form and won’t repeat the misteps of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

The time then arrives to talk about the next series of Avengers films, which, by the way, The Fantastic Four will appear in. After months of speculation, Marvel officially confirmed that some returning favorites will be directing the fifth and sixth Avengers films. Joe and Anthony Russo initially retired from the MCU after directing Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. However, they are back to direct the next two films, and the fifth installment now has a brand-new title.

Following the scandal and firing involving Kang the Conqueror actor, Jonathan Majors, the next Avengers film will no longer be called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Instead, it will now be called Avengers: Doomsday, with Doctor Doom now set to take over as the Multiverse Saga’s new main villain. The film will tie directly into Avengers: Secret Wars, but who is playing Doctor Doom?

Robert Downey Jr. is officially returning to the MCU, but not as Tony Stark. Instead, Downey Jr. will be portraying the man behind the mask, Victor Von Doom, in a case of an absolutely shocking surprise casting. Details behind how this is possible are entirely unknown, but it’s clear that Robert Downey Jr. and the part of Doctor Doom will change the trajectory of the MCU forever in the upcoming Avengers films.

Source: Colliders