Marvel Studios is a juggernaut. Kevin Feige's incredible shared universe of superheroes dominates everything that it sets its mind to, be that movies, television, or standalone specials. Simply put: People love the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
No matter what major pop-culture event takes place - whether it's D23, CinemaCon or indeed San Diego Comic-Con - Marvel is always the main event. Audiences flock to the panels in the hopes of seeing their favorite MCU actors and getting some updates on the future installments in the franchise. It's understandable too, for these larger-than-life events truly have a larger-than-life feel about them.
That being said, the most recent announcement about Marvel Studios has left fans reeling, particularly because it involves its presence - or perhaps lack of presence - at the biggest event of them all.
Marvel Studios won't host a Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con
Unfortunately, Marvel Studios will be skipping its iconic Hall H panel on the Saturday of San Diego Comic-Con weekend. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that the studio has opted to forgo a panel in that coveted Saturday evening slot and it has truly sent the internet into a meltdown. To say that the Marvel panel is the highlight of SDCC each and every year would be a major understatement and, with the major Robert Downey Jr. Avengers: Doomsday return announcement last year, there was a lot of anticipation to see what the studio might have announced this year
Fans were flabbergasted by the announcement, with one commenting "This doesn't make any sense" and another claiming that SDCC has "lost its main event". Fan account MCU Film News added "THIS IS SO SAD". Others understood it, saying that it will allow them to prepare its 2026 slate so that it can return with major announcements next year.
The decision to sidestep the panel this year might be shocking on the surface but it isn't all that surprising from a business standpoint. After the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps (which comes out on the weekend of Comic-Con), Marvel Studios won't have another theatrical release on the calendar until the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day next summer and Sony will likely do much of the promotion for that one since they still own the movie rights to the character. After that, it's Avengers: Doomsday next December.
With the recent delay that moved Doomsday from May to December '26, it makes sense that Kevin Feige and co. at Marvel are happy to skip this one considering that they will no doubt be going all in on the announcements and reveals next year. But, even so, there is hope among fans that they will host some kind of panel to showcase their upcoming slate of Disney Plus TV shows.
Wonder Man will be released this December while Daredevil: Born Again season 2 will arrive next Spring. The Punisher Special Presentation and Vision Quest are also set for release next year, so it's not like the TV panel wouldn't have a purpose. And hey, if Kevin Feige is currently busy working on Avengers: Doomsday with the Russo Brothers, I'm sure Marvel's Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation Brad Winderbaum would be more than happy to step in and talk TV.
The good news is that Marvel is expected to have some kind of presence at SDCC, but it's unclear what that actually means. Will Feige be there at all? Are they going to pivot to TV and Animation to tease fans with what's coming instead? Or could they pull off a surprise screening of The Fantastic Four: First Steps like they did with Deadpool and Wolverine last year?
There are plenty of questions about San Diego Comic-Con right now, and only Marvel has the answers! Hopefully, they'll share a tease with us all soon.