It hasn’t been long since Kevin Feige and Marvel aired the latest updates on the MCU at San Diego Comic-Con, but they’ve done it again, this time at Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim. As lucky attendees piled into the panel room, fans around the world followed the announcements and reveals online, watching Twitter and Reddit with excitement for it all.
Unfortunately, fan hype and anticipation played a role in the response to D23, with some claiming it was a disappointment. However, Marvel showed a lot of new footage and attendees learned from the cast of thirteen different movies and TV shows, and Twitter was abuzz with reactions to each new piece of information.
By some luck
There were some promises made earlier that weren’t kept, like further casting information and new project reveals, but there were still some exciting moments from Marvel’s D23 Panel. The sad part of this is that many views are exclusive to attendees. New official trailers were dropped for everyone, but as far as teasers and first looks go, this is something fans online won’t be seeing for a long time.
This is nothing new for D23 or Marvel. At Comic-Con they did the same thing, but in retrospect, they really considered it a personal experience. In fact, of the thirteen projects submitted, nine were previewed, but only two were made public. As such, many fans find it annoying that they are missing out, especially when it comes to live streaming.
Some missing perspectives
The weeks leading up to D23 were full of rampant misinformation and false claims about what would be featured at the event. This includes an incredible number of claims, from the likes of Henry Cavill, Jodie Comer and Denzel Washington to name a few. Whether any of that turns out to be true or not, it created a lot of hype for Marvel’s D23 panel, and in the eyes of many, they fell short of their expectations.
In particular, many were hoping to learn which movies and TV shows would receive the mystery games in Phase Six. But, they didn’t even mention the one warned before Nova or The miracle man projects.
A Fantastic Bummer
Perhaps the biggest disappointment came when Feige said they wouldn’t reveal it Fantastic four cast, as this was the big draw for many fans. That news should come soon, but this decision could mean they’re in no rush.
Fantastic four is set to begin Phase Six in 2024, so there’s still plenty of time for that announcement to come, but of course, fans want it as soon as possible. However, there was something exciting about it Fantastic four. WandaVision director Matt Shakman is back to direct the film.
Terror of… Night Wolf!
Beyond the troubling omissions, there were still some great things to enjoy, including the long-awaited official announcement and trailer for Wolf in the night, the upcoming Halloween special. It was announced a while ago with Gael García Bernal and Laura Donnelly starring and Michael Giacchino directing. However, as is the classic Marvel act, information about the special was extremely sparse.
Now audiences know they can watch the special on Disney+ on October 7. The trailer also showed just how different Wolf in the night it would be from the MCU, giving a nice nod to the monster movies of the 30s and 40s. The special will also introduce Man-Thing, bringing in yet another popular and complex supernatural character, and interestingly ties in with Loki with the TVA show.
Who’s Who in Secret Invasion
The other trailer available to all was for Secret Invasion, the first Disney+ series of 2023 and Phase Five. SDCC attendees noted its dark tone as a psychological spy thriller, and now everyone knows what they were talking about. There’s been no shortage of theorizing about who might appear, whether it’s new characters like Veranke and/or Spider-Woman or returnees like Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
The trailer gave a first look at the mysterious characters played by Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman and Kingsley Ben-Adir. Those quick shots are enough to get excited for many fans.
Ant-Man And The Wasp: Woo-Mania
The exclusive footage of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever AND Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. As for the latter, it certainly attracted attention. The film has already been described as a departure from Ant-Man brand people have recognized it, but in a good way.
A highlight from this part of the panel was the announcement that Randall Park is back as Jimmy Woo. It makes sense that he would show up in the sequel, but that doesn’t diminish any of the excitement.
Kingpin Survives
Despite all the announcements that have happened since then HawkeyeIn the finale, viewers now have definitive proof that the Kingpin is still alive in the MCU, despite Echo seemingly shooting him. However, he did not escape their meeting unscathed, as the special footage showed echo found that he has to wear an eye piece.
echo is shaping up to be something special, and not just because Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are both reprising it before moving on to Daredevil: Born Again. Alaqua Cox’s Maya Lopez will not only be the first Native American superhero with her own TV show, but also the first deaf hero to do so.
The leader is back!
One thing many fans didn’t expect to hear was a mention of Samuel Sterns AKA The Leader, but they got one. It’s been almost fifteen years since he played the role in the MCU’s black sheep, The Incredible Hulkbut Tim Blake Nelson is back – this time indoors Captain America: New World Order. While he is apparently the main antagonist, others could certainly appear.
This led to fans taking to Twitter, sharing their excitement over the announcement and giving more hope that Mark Ruffalo might finally get his. Hulk film.
Meet the Thunderbolts
Another exciting announcement was that of Lightning thrown away. The team of anti-heroes will be Yelena Belova, Winter Soldier, US Agent, Red Guardian, Ghost and Taskmaster, led by Contessa. This was met with a positive response from many, while others highlighted the fact that it is a team-up of Captain America and Black Widow.
The list is murky, but they’re all either brainwashed ex-assassins or government supersoldiers. This then brings up ideas and theories about who the antagonist could be, including the possibility of Zemo leading his team.
A Wonderful Ending
They capped off their time by bringing Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani with director Nia DaCosta to watch. Marvels. Of course, this teaser was for attendees only, but it got a lot of people excited and it got people tweeting. The film is set to explore the strange dynamic between the powers of the three heroes, making them trade spaces with each other.
Marvels is obviously impatient, and many hope to avoid the answer Captain Marvel taken.
