Marvel Studios’ SDCC 2026 Panel: 10 Potential Announcements & Reveals

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Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom sits between Steve Rogers and Reed Richards in Avengers Doomsday art

Published Jul 21, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT

Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release.

He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years.

Marvel Studios is bringing the Marvel Cinematic Universe back to San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, and the Hall H panel should bring plenty of announcements and reveals about the Multiverse Saga's conclusion and beyond. For nearly two decades, Kevin Feige has consistently brought the MCU to SDCC to show thousands of fans exclusive footage and make surprise announcements in show-stealing fashion.

That's why it came as such a surprise when Marvel Studios sat out SDCC 2025, skipping its usual Saturday night panel. It was especially surprising considering the 2024 panel reminded everyone of Marvel's unmatched ability to generate hype and conversations, with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom casting announced there. But after skipping the convention last year, Marvel Studios returns to SDCC 2026.

While there are several Marvel events and panels throughout the four-day event (including an X-Men '97 panel on Friday), Feige and friends will descend upon Hall H on Saturday, July 25 at 8:30 EST/5:30 PST. Avengers: Doomsday marketing materials displayed around the convention confirm it will have a major presence, while Spider-Man: Brand New Day could also get some attention one week before it hits theaters.

From “I Am Iron Man” to “I Am Inevitable” · Eight Questions How Well Do You Know the MCU? “Whatever it takes.”

🤖Phase OneRDJ & the founders, 2008

🛡The AvengersWhedon’s team, 2012

💎Infinity SagaThanos & the stones

⚡EndgameWhatever it takes, 2019

🌏MultiversePhase 4–6, 2021–

ASSEMBLE →

Iron Man (2008) is, in retrospect, the most consequential casting decision in modern blockbuster history — but at the time Marvel Studios and parent company Paramount were openly hostile to director Jon Favreau’s push for the lead actor he eventually got. Favreau later said he had to fight “tooth and nail” and the actor had to do a paid screen test, a screen-test deal almost unheard of for an A-lister. What was the executive objection to him?

AHe was considered too old for a 15-year contract BHis history of drug arrests made him uninsurable CHe was already under contract to DC/Warner Bros. DHe’d publicly refused to do any superhero work

✓ Correct! Robert Downey Jr. had been arrested multiple times between 1996 and 2001 on drug and weapons charges, served roughly a year in California state prison (1999–2000), and was fired from Ally McBeal in 2001 after relapsing. By 2007 he’d been clean for several years, but Marvel/Paramount considered him essentially uninsurable for a $140 million tent-pole. Favreau pushed for him over studio favourites Tom Cruise (who’d had Iron Man development at Fox years earlier) and Sam Rockwell (who’d later play Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2 as a consolation). RDJ took a reported $500,000 base salary — less than Terrence Howard, whose role he then permanently overshadowed.

✗ Wrong. The answer is his arrest history. RDJ had drug-related arrests from 1996–2001, served prison time in 1999–2000, and was fired from Ally McBeal in 2001 — which made him uninsurable in studio terms even though he’d been sober for several years by 2007. Favreau fought for him over Tom Cruise and Sam Rockwell, and RDJ took a reported $500,000 base salary — less than co-star Terrence Howard.

The Avengers (2012) — the film that proved the shared-universe model could work, grossed $1.52 billion, and ended Phase One with Loki, Thanos’s mid-credits reveal, and the “swarm shot” of the team rotating in Manhattan — was written and directed by a TV showrunner best known at the time for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. Name him.

AJon Favreau BKenneth Branagh CJoss Whedon DJoe Johnston

✓ Correct! Joss Whedon. Marvel hired him in mid-2010 partly on the basis of his uncredited script rewrites and his comfort writing ensemble team dynamics from Buffy/Angel/Firefly. He directed The Avengers (2012) and the follow-up Age of Ultron (2015), then exited the MCU and Marvel handed the next two Avengers films to the Russo brothers. The three other directors named all really did make Phase One films: Favreau directed Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010), Branagh directed Thor (2011), and Joe Johnston directed Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) — which is why this question separates Phase One trivia from Avengers-specific trivia.

✗ Wrong. The answer is Joss Whedon — hired largely on the strength of Buffy, Firefly, and uncredited Hollywood script work. The three wrong options are deliberately all real Phase One MCU directors: Favreau did Iron Man 1 & 2, Branagh did Thor (2011), and Joe Johnston did The First Avenger (2011). Whedon directed Avengers (2012) and Age of Ultron (2015) before exiting the MCU.

Marvel co-architect Stan Lee (1922–2018) appeared in every theatrical MCU film from Iron Man (2008) onward, even shooting cameos in advance to outlast him. He died on November 12, 2018. In which film does his final filmed MCU cameo appear — as the long-haired young driver of a 1970 car bearing the bumper sticker “NUFF SAID”?

AAvengers: Endgame (2019) BAvengers: Infinity War (2018) CCaptain Marvel (2019) DSpider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

✓ Correct! Avengers: Endgame (April 2019). Lee appears digitally de-aged behind the wheel of a 1970 Chevy at the New Jersey army base where Tony Stark and Steve Rogers travel back to retrieve the Tesseract; he shouts “hey man, make love, not war!” The cameo was filmed before Lee’s death and confirmed by the Russos as his final filmed MCU appearance, although the next-released film, Spider-Man: Far From Home (July 2019), became the first MCU film with no Stan Lee cameo at all. Captain Marvel (March 2019) has him reading the script for Mallrats on the L.A. train and was the first posthumously-released cameo, but Endgame was the last one he actually shot.

✗ Wrong. The answer is Avengers: Endgame — the de-aged hippie-era driver in the 1970 New Jersey time-heist scene. Captain Marvel (March 2019) was the first cameo to release posthumously, but Endgame (April 2019) was the last one Lee actually filmed. Spider-Man: Far From Home (July 2019) became the first MCU film with no Stan Lee cameo at all.

Across Phase One through Three, each Infinity Stone is hidden inside a distinctive container before being claimed for Thanos’s Gauntlet. The blue Space Stone is housed inside a glowing cube that originates with the Asgardians, is recovered by Howard Stark from the wreckage of the Red Skull’s plane, is taken to Asgard by Loki in 2012, and is finally retrieved by Hulk on Sakaar before falling to Thanos. What is that container called?

AThe Tesseract BThe Aether CThe Orb DThe Eye of Agamotto

✓ Correct! The Tesseract — the blue cube that houses the Space Stone — first appears in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), powers the portal Loki opens over Manhattan in The Avengers (2012), and is destroyed by Thanos in Infinity War (2018) when he crushes it to claim the stone inside. The wrong options are all real Infinity Stone containers from the MCU: the Aether (red liquid form) houses the Reality Stone in Thor: The Dark World, the Orb houses the Power Stone in Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Eye of Agamotto houses the Time Stone in Doctor Strange. So all four answers refer to genuine stone containers — only the Tesseract holds Space.

✗ Wrong. The answer is the Tesseract. The trap is that all four options are real Infinity Stone containers: the Aether holds Reality (Thor: The Dark World), the Orb holds Power (Guardians of the Galaxy), and the Eye of Agamotto holds Time (Doctor Strange). Space — the blue stone shown in Cap’s 1942 plane wreckage and Loki’s 2012 invasion — is the Tesseract.

In Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the Soul Stone is hidden on Vormir and guarded by a Stonekeeper — revealed to be a cursed Red Skull. To claim it, the seeker must sacrifice the person they love most by throwing them from a cliff. Thanos arrives on Vormir with one adopted daughter, weeps, and pushes her over the edge. Which character does Thanos sacrifice to obtain the Soul Stone?

ANebula BGamora CMantis DProxima Midnight

✓ Correct! Gamora (Zoe Saldaña). Thanos forces her to lead him to Vormir because Nebula has earlier revealed under torture that Gamora knew the Soul Stone’s location all along. The scene is the emotional pivot of Infinity War: it confirms that Thanos really does love Gamora, which means the sacrifice qualifies. In Endgame (2019), a 2014 version of Gamora returns through time travel with her father — meaning Gamora-of-Infinity-War remains dead at the end of the saga, while a different Gamora wanders the cosmos in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Nebula is alive throughout Infinity War; Mantis survives Vormir entirely; Proxima Midnight is one of Thanos’s Black Order children, killed in the Battle of Wakanda.

✗ Wrong. The answer is Gamora. Nebula is alive throughout Infinity War (she’s the one whose torture reveals Gamora knew where the stone was hidden). Mantis isn’t on Vormir. Proxima Midnight is Thanos’s adopted daughter via the Black Order, not via Zen-Whoberi, and is killed during the Battle of Wakanda by Scarlet Witch. Thanos sacrifices Gamora — the only adopted daughter he genuinely loves.

In Avengers: Endgame (2019), Steve Rogers travels back in time to return the Infinity Stones, then chooses to remain in the past and live out a life with Peggy Carter. He returns to the present as an old man, sits on a bench by the lake at the Avengers compound, and hands his vibranium shield to a younger Avenger as the symbolic transfer of the Captain America identity. To whom does Steve give the shield?

ABucky Barnes BSam Wilson CT’Challa DPeter Parker

✓ Correct! Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) — the Falcon. The choice deliberately bypasses Bucky, the original comics successor, because the Russos and screenwriters Markus & McFeely wanted the moment to read as a deliberate, racially-charged passing of an American icon rather than the obvious comics-canon handoff. The thread is then picked up directly in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+, 2021), in which Sam initially gives the shield to the Smithsonian, sees the government install John Walker as a replacement Cap, and ultimately takes the mantle himself — setting up Captain America: Brave New World (2025) with Mackie as the franchise’s new lead.

✗ Wrong. The answer is Sam Wilson, the Falcon. In the comics Bucky is the classic Cap successor, but the Russos and screenwriters Markus and McFeely deliberately picked Sam instead — a choice the entire Falcon and the Winter Soldier series (Disney+, 2021) then unpacks before Mackie carries it into Captain America: Brave New World (2025).

After Endgame, Marvel Studios’ Phase Four launched the MCU on Disney+ with a sitcom-pastiche limited series in which Wanda Maximoff and a resurrected Vision live inside a reality-warping suburban hex. Each episode parodied a different era of US TV sitcom — The Dick Van Dyke Show, Bewitched, Family Ties, Modern Family. The show premiered January 15, 2021 and ran nine episodes. Which series was it — the first MCU project on Disney+?

AWandaVision BLoki CThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier DHawkeye

✓ Correct! WandaVision (January 15 – March 5, 2021), created by Jac Schaeffer and directed by Matt Shakman. It launched Phase Four, earned 23 Emmy nominations, and effectively rebooted Wanda Maximoff as the Scarlet Witch ahead of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). The Falcon and the Winter Soldier followed it in March 2021 — not first — and Loki landed in June 2021. Hawkeye is the 2021 Christmas series with Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld. The original launch order was WandaVision → FATWS → Loki → What If...? → Hawkeye, and WandaVision’s sitcom format remains the boldest swing of the Disney+ era.

✗ Wrong. The answer is WandaVision (January 15, 2021), the first MCU show on Disney+ and the launchpad for Phase Four. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier came in March 2021, Loki in June 2021, and Hawkeye in late 2021. The sitcom-pastiche structure — Dick Van Dyke through Modern Family — is unique to WandaVision.

At the closing panel of San Diego Comic-Con on July 27, 2024, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige brought the Russo brothers back on stage to announce a new title for the next Avengers film — previously labelled “The Kang Dynasty” before Jonathan Majors’s December 2023 conviction forced a pivot — and then unmasked a cast of actors wearing green hoods. The final hood came off Robert Downey Jr. RDJ is returning to the MCU, but not as Tony Stark. As whom?

AMister Sinister BDoctor Doom CNorman Osborn DMephisto

✓ Correct! Doctor Doom — Victor von Doom, the Latverian dictator and Reed Richards’s lifelong nemesis, generally considered Marvel’s greatest comics villain. The next Avengers film, originally announced as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, was retitled Avengers: Doomsday after Jonathan Majors was dropped as Kang following his December 2023 assault conviction. Doomsday is scheduled for May 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars to follow in May 2027 — both directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, returning to the MCU after Endgame. The in-universe explanation for RDJ playing Doom rather than Stark hinges on the multiverse: Doom is being positioned as a variant of Stark from another timeline.

✗ Wrong. The answer is Doctor Doom. The film was retitled from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday (May 2026) after Jonathan Majors was dropped, and the Russos returned to direct. RDJ’s casting as Doom — rather than as Tony Stark — is being explained in-universe via the multiverse: Doom as a Stark variant from another timeline.

REVEAL MY RATING →

The Stones Are Cast · Final Scorecard Your Avengers Standing

💎

/ 8

A worthy Avenger — or dusted in the snap?

⤴ ROUND TWO

Between those films, TV shows in development, and other upcoming MCU movies, there is plenty for Feige and Marvel Studios to discuss. Some major announcements and reveals will come, with these among the most likely.

VisionQuest Trailer Debut

Marvel Studios may not have showcased its Disney+ shows at SDCC in 2024, but it's possible that changes in 2026 with the trailer debut for VisionQuest. The series is set to debut on Disney's streaming service in less than three months, and so far Marvel has not begun its marketing campaign. Showing off the trailer to attendees and then releasing it online shortly thereafter would be a smart move.

VisionQuest is the only live-action MCU Disney+ show still to come this year, and if it has any significance for Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars, it would make sense for Marvel to start pushing the show to fans. Marvel dropped a teaser at New York Comic Con last October, so it's not like the VisionQuest trailer isn't ready either.

Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 First Look

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 was a big hit earlier this year, so Marvel could look to keep building anticipation for the series by giving it some shine at SDCC. Daredevil: Born Again season 3 has already finished filming, making the timing perfect for an exclusive look for attendees. Showing images or early clips could generate more hype, especially if they confirm any additional returning characters or major crossovers.

This may not happen if Marvel Studios keeps the panel's focus strictly on the movie side, especially with D23 coming later this year and giving them a chance to emphasize the Disney+ shows more. But if Daredevil and the rest of the Defenders are going to be in Secret Wars, highlighting them at SDCC can give them another boost in popularity.

Marvel releasing the official Avengers: Doomsday trailer online ahead of SDCC rules out the panel being the time for it to finally debut. Attendees will certainly get to see the trailer again during the presentation, but that can't be it, right? Marvel will want to give attendees some exclusive footage, and with no other MCU movies in production, this is the only chance.

There's no telling exactly what scenes Marvel could show, but eliciting exciting reactions is surely the driving factor. Seeing Doctor Doom in action, more of Steve and Thor's reunion, glimpses of the fresh character crossovers, and more are possibilities. Marvel may even deliver a surprise or two within the footage, confirming new details about the multiversal event movie.

Avengers: Doomsday Cast Chair Reveal Part 2

Avengers and Fantastic Four Assembled in Avengers Doomsday Trailer

The main cast members of Avengers: Doomsday have already been confirmed, but Marvel and Feige have also promised that this is not the whole list. They could be planning on keeping a few surprises up their sleeves until December 18 (or closer to the release date), but if more of the cast was ever going to be announced, SDCC would be the place to do it.

Marvel could recreate the five-hour-long chair reveal, bringing each cast member's chair onto the stage, only to add in new ones along the way. Doctor Strange, Wolverine, Deadpool, Spider-Man, Hulk, Peggy Carter, Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, Kate Bishop, Hawkeye, and others could be announced here, if they are in the movie at all.

Major Returning Characters For Avengers: Secret Wars

Marvel will be careful discussing too much with Secret Wars not to spoil anything major from Doomsday. But there is no universe where they go through the whole panel without discussing the Multiverse Saga's ending. One way they can do this would be to announce some of the Marvel characters returning for Secret Wars who aren't already confirmed to be in Doomsday.

For example, Marvel Studios could use the event to announce that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will both play Spider-Man again in Secret Wars. Halle Berry's Storm, Famke Janssen's Jean Grey, Wesley Snipes and/or Mahershala Ali's Blade, Nicolas Cage's Ghost Rider, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow, etc. are among other possibilities.

Bringing any of these people out on stage in front of the MCU fandom would be electric. I wouldn't even put it past Marvel to use this as the panel's final surprise and have Tobey Maguire and Hugh Jackman join Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth on stage as a tease of how the multiverse will collide in Secret Wars, which would double as a reason audiences will want to see Doomsday.

Avengers: Endgame Encore Details

Marvel's focus is all on the next two Avengers movies, but the previous one could also get some shine at SDCC. Disney is putting Avengers: Endgame back in theaters on September 25 with a new version that directly sets up Doomsday. The Russos have confirmed new footage will be included, but exactly what that means has yet to be announced.

The Hall H panel could be a good time to get audiences excited to see Endgame in theaters again by revealing a bit more about what the Doomsday connections will be. Details about how much new footage is included, where it will be included, etc. would be great to know. And with the panel happening exactly two months before Avengers: Endgame Encore, tickets could even go on sale following the panel.

Black Panther 3 Title & Release Date

Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther about to attack a man in Black Panther (2018)

As much as the Multiverse Saga will rightfully get the spotlight, Feige loves to tease Marvel's future at these events. This could be the place where Marvel provides the first official details on Ryan Coogler's Black Panther 3. An official title and release date could be confirmed as part of a brief slate update.

It's probably too early to learn definitively who Denzel Washington is going to play. However, Marvel's tendency for surprises could include announcing a new, older actor to play T'Challa II (like often-rumored star Damson Idris) and carry the mantle forward.

X-Men Movie Cast, Title, & Release Date

Beast, Wolverine, Storm, and other X-Men suited in X-Men The Last Stand

It's been seven years since Feige first discussed at SDCC the X-Men coming to the MCU, and after all that time, this could finally be the year he brings some concrete details. Jake Schreier (Thunderbolts*) is directing, and production will likely begin later this year or sometime in 2027. If that is still the case, then this would be the appropriate time to properly unveil the MCU's X-Men plans.

An official title and release date would be nice, but the big deal would be confirming several cast members. Rumors have been circulating for weeks now that Marvel is zeroing in on different actors, so if any deals close by Saturday, announcements will likely be made. Just don't expect Sadie Sink to be among them, as there's no way Marvel will confirm she's playing Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day and beyond here after avoiding the spoiler for so long.

Nova Movie Confirmation (& Casting?)

Nova Corps headquarters in Guardians of the Galaxy

While Black Panther 3 and X-Men are confirmed to be in development, Marvel Studios could announce some new movies, with the Nova film chief among them. News of Michael Waldron (Loki) writing the script surfacing so close to SDCC could mean Marvel has given it the official green light. It doesn't seem that a director announcement is imminent, but a secret star could have already been cast as Richard Rider.

An Updated MCU Slate

If there is one almost guaranteed we'll get from Marvel Studios' SDCC 2026 panel, it's a new, updated MCU slate. Marvel loves to show off a graphic of their various upcoming movies and release dates. The bulk of the presentation might be on what the MCU looks like until Secret Wars, but Marvel can also drop its first Phase 7 slate, giving fans a glimpse of how many movies are ahead.

This is where 2028 dates for Black Panther 3 and X-Men could come. Meanwhile, known projects like Nova, Shang-Chi 2, and Blade could get placeholder year slots. If Marvel really knows where the start of the next saga is going, announcements for additional MCU sequels or standalone movies could come here, perhaps even the date of the next Avengers movie after Secret Wars.