Marvel Studios at San Diego Comic-Con: What to expect

It’s that time of year when the biggest studios bring actors, directors and writers from their most anticipated blockbusters to tens of thousands of fans at San Diego Comic-Con.

None are as prominent as Marvel Studios. Marvel Entertainment, in general, has always dominated SDCC, but it’s the company’s studio division that has reinvigorated fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This year should be the same.

The question is what Marvel Studios plans to bring to SDCC. Unlike last year, Marvel also made an appearance at D23, Disney’s biennial fan convention, last weekend. Marvel brought a first look at Avengers: Infinity War to D23, but that was it. That means SDCC will be the place for big news, announcements and trailers.

Anyway, we know what you’re thinking: Enough of this jargon and hogwash excuses! Just tell me what I may be seeing — or missing out on — at SDCC this year.

Avengers: Infinity War

Of all the movies Marvel has coming out in the next year, none are as anticipated as Avengers: Infinity War. The movie will be the beginning of the end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that we’ve known for the past decade. The studio’s next step — Phase 4 and the beginning of the Cosmic Universe — will be a departure from the comforts of the fictional realm we’ve nestled in.

Avengers: Infinity War is due out in May, following Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther. Ant-Man and the Wasp will be released just a couple of months later. It will bring together all of the MCU’s superheroes — including the Guardians of the Galaxy — to take on Thanos as everything the universe has been building to comes to a head.

D23 attendees saw the first Infinity War trailer, and while there’s a very good chance it will be shown again to Hall H attendees at SDCC, don’t expect it to go online anytime soon. Marvel is notorious for not publishing its trailers online, instead keeping them exclusive to conventions.

Avengers: Infinity War will be released on May 4, 2018.

Thor: Ragnarok

Considering Thor: Ragnarok is Marvel’s next movie, it’s only logical that Marvel would bring something to SDCC. This could be a new trailer, which seems likely, or a behind-the-scenes featurette.

Don’t expect Thor: Ragnarok to take up much of Marvel’s panel, though. Rgnarok’s release date is a double-edged sword for the studio. It’s right around the corner, so it doesn’t need as much hyping up as other projects. Marvel has already spent money on a marketing budget for the film. Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Avengers: Infinity War are further away, and Marvel doesn’t want people to forget about them. That’s what SDCC is there for.

Thor: Ragnarok will have a presence at SDCC. Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and maybe even Jeff Goldblum will all be on hand. If any of the trailers or videos shown during the presentation make it to YouTube, expect it to be Ragnarok.

Thor: Ragnarok will be released on Nov. 3, 2017.

Black Panther

Since its trailer dropped last month, Marvel’s Black Panther has skyrocketed to the top of our list of most anticipated movies. Don’t expect another trailer out of SDCC, but there might be some new footage. Again, if the studio does bring a trailer, it seems very unlikely that Marvel would publish it online. Instead, this will be reserved for the audience gathered in Hall H.

Considering that Marvel spent a good portion of its panel last year on Black Panther, with director Ryan Coogler and much of the cast on stage, it seems unlikely that the movie will get the same play this year. Instead, expect most of Marvel’s panel to be dedicated to Phase 4 announcements — everything that comes after Avengers 4 — along with more information on Spider-Man in the MCU and Captain Marvel.

Black Panther will be released on Feb. 18, 2018.

Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel seems to be the movie that the studio will be talking about the most, after Avengers: Infinity War. We know Brie Larson is going to play Captain Marvel, and we know that Samuel L. Jackson will reprise his role as Nick Fury. Aside from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck being brought on board as directors, we don’t know anything about the movie. Now that D23 has come and gone without details on Captain Marvel, it makes perfect sense for SDCC to be its coming-out party.

Just like how Black Panther was the big focus at last year’s SDCC panel for Marvel, it seems like this year’s will be split between Infinity War and Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel will be released on March 8, 2019.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

But what about Ant-Man and the Wasp? It’s a good question! To be honest, we have no idea.

Marvel just started production on the film, so we might see some concept art or first stills, but we’re not getting any kind of footage. Maybe something will be included in the sizzle reel that Marvel is sure to bring.

Whatever Marvel decides to do, this probably isn’t going to be a good year for Ant-Man fans. Sorry, Paul Rudd aficionados. Ant-Man and the Wasp will be released on July 6, 2018.

What else?

Next year marks 10 years since the MCU was introduced through the charming billionaire Tony Stark and Iron Man. This is going to be a celebratory panel for Marvel. That’s why it’s going to run for 90 minutes.

Fans not in attendance might suffer from fear of missing out as they watch on Twitter. For those in Hall H, however, this panel is sure to be something special.

Marvel’s Comic-Con panel will begin at 5:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, July 22.