It’s been three long, pandemic-y years since Marvel Studios last took its once-regular place at Hall H at the San Diego Comic-Con; three years that have seen the still-culturally-dominant studio operating in something like “easy mode.” That is, a few smaller movies mixed in with a few bigger-scale blockbusters, that big expansion into TV… but nothing like the massive rush that saw the franchise seize the attention of pretty much the entire planet with the grand conclusion to its Avengers movies several years back.
That might be about to change, though, with Marvel Honcho Man Kevin Feige confirming that this year’s Comic-Con will see the studio returning to Hall H, a.k.a. The Big Room, where the studio had previously announced all of its biggest casting and production coups. Feige confirmed the appearance while at this weekend’s premiere of Thor: Love And Thunder—which also, as it happened, got announced at the last big Marvel Comic-Con, complete with a surprise appearance from star Natalie Portman. “We’ll be at Comic-Con next month, which we’re excited about,” Feige told the Thor crowd. “First time since we were on stage there three years ago talking about this movie and many others. And now, I think, almost, not everything, but almost everything we discussed three years ago, that was released, so we are excited to go and talk about the future.” (Someday, Mahershala Ali Blade movie. Someday.)
Marvel has been hinting at that “future” for years at this point, of course, filling out its universe in the intervening time with alternate universes, time travel, and winking cameos to its more multiversal ambitions. (Most notably in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, which teased a reintegrated Marvel universe through a couple of minor appearances by major stars of as-yet untapped-by-Disney franchises.)
Which is a coy way of saying they’re going to announce Fantastic Four and X-Men at this thing, right? They’ve pretty much gotta announce Fantastic Four and X-Men.
Anyway: Comic-Con is scheduled for July 21 through July 24.