Marvel At Comic-Con 2022: What Phase 5 & 6 Look Like – Update
Marvel’s Phase 4 lineup back at Comic-Con 2019 literally touted enough product to fill three years, and at this year’s San Diego fanboy confab, the Disney branded studio did it again, spoiling fanboy and girls with enough IP streaming and film announcements in their phase 5 and 6 to fill the next two and half years.
Looking back, the Marvel product announced three years ago including Loki, WandaVision, and The Falcon and Winter Solider was part of the studio’s new plan to exploit the then upcoming Disney+ service and interweave the MCU into films. Ironically, it was enough to get us through the pandemic.
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Once again, Disney/Marvel is the envy of all studios, and unleashed a title rollout that will keep movie theaters and Disney+ humming. There’s literally no end in sight for Marvel to slow down.
“I’m unbelievably excited,” he said. “Three years ago we were here and its been a hell of a long time since then. There have been moments I thought ‘Will I ever be in Hall H again and the answer is Thank God, yes.”
At the top of today’s session, Marvel showed off a sizzle reel of their greatest hits of late, i.e. three Spider-Mans in Spider-Man: No Way Home, WandaVision, She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel. However, it was a montage that shot straight for a fans’ hearts after starving during the pandemic sans an MCU session. The voiceover of Stan Lee exclaimed, “Marvel has always been and always will be a reflection of the world right outside our window.”
Then words blazed on the screen to great screams, “It’s been a difficult time. We lost part of ourselves. But today is our time to come together again.”
Comic-Con 2022: Deadline’s Full Coverage
Disney/Getty
Taking the stage, Marvel boss Kevin Feige got down to brass tacks and flashed a timeline up that encompassed both Phase 4 and 5. Later on in the session, he took the euphoria in the room to a whole other stratosphere in teasing Phase 6, which currently only has three films, starting with the reboot of Fantastic Four on Nov. 8, 2024 and ending with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty on May 2, 2025 and Avengers: Secret Wars on Nov. 7, 2025.
Phase 4 will end with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on Nov. 11; that film getting a new trailer today as part of the presentation.)
Disney/Getty
The MCU was dropping trailers left and right in Hall H including Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which would kick off Phase 5 on Feb. 17, 2023. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5), Disney+’s Secret Invasion and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (which looks to be the last MCU series of this calendar year). Deadline heard footage wasn’t ready for The Marvels, which is scheduled for July 28, 2023 and we’ll likely see that at D23.
The difference between 2019 and tonight’s MCU presentations was that there were more talent showing up for projects which hadn’t even seen the light of day yet, one of the big highlights being Marhershala Ali stepping out and announced as Blade, and also Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen in WandaVision among many others. For most of the MCU stars showing up today, most of their movies have already been shot. More talent announcements and directors for these new films are expected to be announced at D23. Following today’s MCU panel, Feige told Deadline that the Russos won’t be directing the next two Avengers movies (the brothers already consider Secret Wars a dream project). Deadline reported earlier this year that Jon Watts was exiting Fantastic Four. Feige also preferred to stay mum when it came to distinguishing how Phase 4,5, and 6 stood apart.
A rundown of what was presented today:
Disney
The nine episode comedy series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is coming sooner than you think, on Aug. 17 on Disney+. Directors Kat Coiro and Anu Valia, and head writer Jessica Gao, were joined by cast members Tatiana Maslany, Ginger Gonzaga and Jameela Jamil for a lively Q&A. In the series, Jennifer Walters (Maslany)—an attorney specializing in superhuman-oriented legal cases—must navigate the complicated life of a single, 30-something who also happens to be a green 6-foot-7-inch superpowered hulk. Those MCU vets starring include Mark Ruffalo as Smart Hulk, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/the Abomination, and Benedict Wong as Wong, as well as Jameela Jamil, Ginger Gonzaga, Josh Segarra, Jon Bass and Renée Elise Goldsberry.
Marvel
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dropped a new trailer, and actually served as the finale to today’s session, beginning with a live performance by Baaba Maal (vocals), Massamba Diop (tama) and dancers and drummers. Showing up where director Ryan Coogler and cast members Mabel Cadena, Michaela Cole, Winston Duke, Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta, Florence Kasumba, Alex Livinalli, Lupita Nyong’o, Dominique Thorne and Letitia Wright. In the sequel, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.Tenoch Huerta was introduced as Namor, the king of a hidden undersea nation. Joining are Dominique Thorne (as Riri Williams), Michaela Coel (Aneka), Mabel Cadena (Namora) and Alex Livanalli (Attuma).
Disney/Marvel
For those missing the multi-verse’s new bad guy Kang the Conquerer, played by Jonathan Majors, well, he’s definitely showing up to fool with time in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang wrote a book in the wake of Endgame, and believes life is easy. However, he’s thrusted with Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Hope’s parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) into the Quantum Realm. Director Peyton Reed and stars Rudd, Lilly, Majors, and Kathryn Newton as daughter Cassie Lang showed up today.
Marvel Studios
Secret Invasion, the continuing adventures of Nick Fury, will drop on Disney+ in spring of 2023. Cobie Smulders, who plays Nick Fury’s loyal No. 2. There series which showed Fury returning from space to Earth had a 007 vibe in its spy intrigue. Ben Mendelsohn’s Skrull Talos came off as more of a bad guy, while Fury was seen in the trailer putting Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes in check (specifically questioning the War Machine, “How much do you know about your security detail?”). The series also stars Kingsley Ben-Adir, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman (who looks like a Bond-like M-figure). The crossover event series showcases a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years.
Marvel Unveils Trailer For ‘Secret Invasion’ At Comic-Con
Marvel
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was already scheduled to kick off next summer on May 5. Logline: Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them. Filmmaker James Gunn’s said we’d learn about the origins of Rocket Raccoon, and we see another version of Gamora, a kinder, gentler one, rekindling with Star Lord. Appearing on stage were Will Poulter as Adam Warlock, Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the Spacedog, as well as Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and Sean Gunn. Chukwudi Iwuji crashed the session in character as the High Evolutionary, a somewhat evil guy who may be behind Rocket turning into the brilliant rodent we know.
Announced dates without casts taking the stage or trailers were:
Marvel Studios
Echo and Loki season 2 are looking at summer 2023. The former is the spinoff of Hawkeye featuring the deaf antihero Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox). The actress was originally expected to show up at Comic-Con this year, but wound up not attending. Sydney Freeland and Catriona McKenzie direct Echo.
Loki season 2 has Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are co-directing a majority of the episodes. Tom Hiddleston and Michael Waldron, who wrote and served as showrunner in Season 1, executive produce. Eric Martin is penning all six episodes. As Deadline told you recently, Blindspotting‘s Rafael Casal is set for a major role.
Marvel
There was a place on the Disney theatrical release schedule for an untitled Marvel movie on Nov. 3, 2023, and that’s going to Blade. Ali nor Bassam Tariq were in attendance. Pic rolls cameras in October.
Marvel Studios
Ironheart, a series featuring Wakanda Forever‘s Riri Williams, will drop in the fall of 2023. Chinaka Hodge is head writer, and Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes are directing.
Meanwhile WandaVision spinoff Agatha is looking to drop on Disney+ winter 2023-24. Wanda’s bad neighbor, played by Kathryn Hahn, is back, spooking out the neighborhood. WandaVision head scribe Jac Schaeffer is steering the show.
Marvel Studios
And it’s officially a movie, not a series: Captain America: New World Order will fire up summer 2024 on May 3. Feige confirmed Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) was back. Julius Onah is directing off of Dalon Musson and Malcolm Spellman’s screenplay.
Marvel Studios
Yes, the rumors are true, and there is a Daredevil series on Disney+ and it’s Daredevil: Born Again looking at spring 2024. Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock was already being brought back into the MCU fold with cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home, while the former Netflix show’s Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) starred in last year’s Hawkeye.
“Phase 5 will culminate with this,” said Feige, throwing it to the screens: It’s Thunderbolts on July 26, 2024. Without giving much explanation, the series is the MCU’s version of Suicide Squad.
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