San Diego Comic-Con 2024 is officially over! This year’s convention marked the return of Marvel Studios after skipping last year’s event. And the studio did not disappoint in its big Hall H panel, which focused on three big upcoming Marvel movies. Along with Kevin Feige, the casts of Captain America: Brave New World, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Avengers: Doomsday came out to drop a slate of big news and give fans peeks into what’s coming in these films. Here’s all the big Marvel news at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2024.
Robert Downey, Jr. Returns to the MCU as Doctor Doom?!
![Robert downey jr with doctor doom mask](https://legendary-digital-network-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/27205519/Robert-downey-jr-with-doctor-doom-mask.jpg)
The end of the Marvel Studios panel saved the biggest news of the night (and perhaps all of SDCC 2024) with announcements about the upcoming Avengers movies. We pretty much already knew that 1) the Russo Brothers would come back to direct these films and 2) Avengers: The Kang Dynasty would get a fresh title. Both of those things were true with the Russos joining Feige onstage and the announcement that the next Avengers movie would be retitled to Avengers: Doomsday. The latter left the question of who would play Doctor Doom. And that got an answer when a masked figure came out onstage. The person under that Doom costume was none other than Robert Downey, Jr., who will become an MCU baddie. It was something that literally none of us at Nerdist saw coming but we are glad it is a part of the Marvel news at this year’s SDCC convention. Avengers: Doomsday is coming in May 2026.
Related:
Robert Downey, Jr. Returns to MCU as Victor Von Doom
Robert Downey, Jr. to Play Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday
Russo Brothers to Direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Gets New Title and Exclusive Teaser
![Fantastic Four movie new title card](https://legendary-digital-network-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/27185256/Fantastic-Four-First-Steps-movie-1.jpg)
Fans in the room got a chance to see a teaser for the upcoming Fantastic Four film, which finally got its official title as The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The footage is not widely available but the film will give us a retro-futuristic setting in the 1960s and see Galactus and Silver Surfer target Earth for destruction. The Fantastic Four: First Steps will start production right after SDCC and hits theaters on July 25, 2025.
Thunderbolts* Drops a Fun Teaser for Fans
![Who makes up the MCU Thunderbolts team? Valentina, red guardian, Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, US Agent, and Taskmaster high res](https://legendary-digital-network-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/12115210/Who-makes-up-the-MCU-Thunderbolts-team-Valentina-red-guardian-Yelena-Belova-Bucky-Barnes-US-Agent-and-Taskmaster-high-res.jpeg)
Thunderbolts* brought out its main cast, including David Harbour in his Red Guardian getup. The fans also got a scene from this movie, which is yet to become available for all to see. Marvel describes the film as “an irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits.” We love to hear it. Thunderbolts* will hit theaters on May 2, 2025.
Related:
Thunderbolts* First-Look Revealed at SDCC
Captain America: Brave New World Introduces Harrison Ford to the MCU and Reveals Giancarlo Esposito’s Character
![Giancarlo Esposito joins the MCU in Captain America Brave New World](https://legendary-digital-network-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/12064649/Giancarlo-Esposito-joins-the-MCU-in-Captain-America-Brave-New-World.jpeg)
This panel gave us some great information, including the big news that Giancarlo Esposito will play Sidewinder, the King of the Serpent Society. There is also a clip that fans got to see in the room and they were delighted for Harrison Ford to take the stage. He will portray President Thaddeus Ross. Here’s a brief description of Captain America: Brave New World from Marvel Studios:
“The story follows Sam Wilson, who after meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, finds himself in the middle of an international incident. Sam must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.”
This film is coming our way pretty soon on February 14, 2025.
Related:
Captain America: Brave New World Reveals Giancarlo Esposito’s New Role as Sidewinder and New Trailer
And that’s it for all the MCU Marvel Studios news at SDCC 2024. We expect to hear more about their TV plans at Disney’s D23 event in August.