Marvel Studios returned to San Diego Comic-Con with dancing Deadpool variants and a choir for a panel that included news about the next two Avengers films and surprise guests, including Harrison Ford and Robert Downey Jr.
Downey is returning to Marvel’s films, but not as Iron Man. He’ll play the villain Victor Von Doom, or Doctor Doom, in one of the upcoming Avengers movies. Downey kicked off Marvel’s movie successes in “Iron Man” and played the popular character in nine films, but on Saturday appeared wearing Dr. Doom’s mask and a green cloak.
“New mask, same task,” Downey said to frenzied cheers.
The reveal capped a jubilant return by Marvel to Comic-Con’s Hall H.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige kicked off the panel by saying that due to this weekend’s success of Deadpool & Wolverine, the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe had now topped USD 30 billion in box-office earnings. In a nod to a scene in the movie, a choir sang Madonna’s Like a Prayer” before Feige spoke.
Deadpool & Wolverine, released Thursday, has already broken one record and could shatter more in its opening weekend. Feige used Saturday’s panel to chart the course ahead for the MCU, revealing Ford’s character in the next Captain America film and revealing Avengers: Secret Wars and Avengers: Doomsday as the titles of the next two films in the epic superhero team-up series.
Feige said all the actors introduced Saturday would appear in the upcoming Avengers movies, which will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The brothers guided the Avengers franchise through its sprawling storyline capped by Avengers: Endgame in 2019 that included the death of Downey’s Tony Stark/Iron Man character. Saturday’s session comes after Marvel skipped the convention last year due to the Hollywood strikes, which prevented writers and actors from speaking on panels. (PTI)
