Marvel Studios came back to Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con with some new reveals to share. It was a pivotal moment for Marvel, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe brand has really deteriorated since The Infinity Saga ended in 2019 with Avengers: Endgame. After many stumbles, the MCU is looking to at least give fans some epic payoff to The Multiverse Saga, in the form of Avengers: Doomsday. There will be a sequel to that game-changing film (Avengers: Secret Wars), and then the future of the MCU will be wide open.
Comic-Con 2026 was Marvel Studios’ chance to really rekindle the spark of excitement for MCU brand and re-establish its dominance in the superhero movie genre, while DC Studios is still finding its way. So did Marvel hit the mark in Hall H? We’re still doing extensive breakdowns on everything that happened in Hall H, but it’s clear that the fans already have an early consensus on whether or not they were impressed.
How would YOU say Marvel Studios did with their Comic-Con 2026 Panel?
By a thin margin of 56% to 44%, Marvel fans seem disappointed in the Comic-Con Hall H presentation this year. Granted, those opinions are coming from fans who are more likely diehard MCU fans, who were intently watching the social media feeds for updates as the Hall H presentation was unfolding.
That’s all to say: early polling is coming from a pool of fans whose expectations ran as high as seeing the MCU X-Men casting officially revealed on stage. Marvel Studios arguably made some savvy moves during this year’s showcase that will resonate much stronger with the general public in the days to come. Here are a few of them:
Ryan Gosling has been confirmed to be playing Ghost Rider in the MCU, and made a surprise appearance on stage in Hall H to announce it. Gosling has a new Star Wars movie (Starfighter) hitting theaters next year; then he will reteam with that film’s director, Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine), for Ghost Rider. While Gosling is confirmed to star, which version of Ghost Rider he’s playing is unknown, and Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige wouldn’t spill it to us when we spoke to him:
Ryan Gosling is about as mainstream as it gets when casting an A-list actor. The Ghost Rider franchise also has a strong legacy with mainstream audiences, as Nicolas Cage was the first one to portray the character in a live-action blockbuster, back in 2007. That film became iconic (whether Marvel diehards hated it or not); the 2011 sequel, Spirit of Vengeance, became a cult favorite due to the insane filmmaking of director duo Neveldine and Taylor (Crank).
Cage, of course, put his own iconic stamp on the character of Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze, but Ryan Gosling is the one actor who may have the charisma to match him.
Sinners director Ryan Coogler took the stage in Hall H to announce that Black Panther 3 is indeed moving forward, and he was ready to let Marvel fans know about some big things that will be happening in the third film. Namely, there will finally be a new T’Challa looking to inherit the mantle of Black Panther, and it’s the son of the first King T’Challa, who we met in the post-credits scene for Wakanda Forever. David Jonsson (HBO’s Industry, Alien: Romulus, The Long Walk) will be playing T’Challa II, and fans seemed to embrace the casting wholeheartedly.
Word of the new Black Panther is big enough to be a mainstream media talking point for the next week, at least. Coogler is one of the hottest directors in Hollywood right now, and with rumors that Denzel Washington could be in the film, Black Panther III is already much more than just a Marvel movie. It’s an event.
A new Avengers: Doomsday trailer was shown in Hall H. As of writing this, it’s unknown when or if that same trailer will be released online to the general public, but it’s definitely generating buzz within the group of people who saw it. You can find our full breakdown of the footage below.
Avengers: Doomsday will be released in theaters on December 18th. Discuss more of Marvel’s Comic-Con panel on the ComicBook Forum.
