Marvel Studios returned to San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday with a slate of announcements and footage previews that outlined several upcoming entries in the studio’s cinematic lineup. Highlights included confirmation of a new 'Ghost Rider' film starring Ryan Gosling, helmed by director Shawn Levy, and the third 'Black Panther' movie, which will introduce David Jonsson as the new T’Challa and is slated for release on Dec. 15, 2028.
The studio also screened first-look material for 'Avengers: Doomsday,' presented as the next major franchise project following 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' which is scheduled to arrive in theaters on Friday. The 'Ghost Rider' project was confirmed for release in 2028, although no specific release date was announced at the panel.
Ryan Gosling made an unexpected appearance onstage during the presentation, greeting the crowd and prompting an energetic response. "Is this really happening?" he asked, then added, "If we’re going to do this, there’s only one director." Director Shawn Levy, who previously directed 'Deadpool and Wolverine,' then joined Gosling onstage and closed their segment by telling attendees, "We’ll see you in 2028."
Later in the program, filmmaker Ryan Coogler and members of the 'Black Panther 3' cast took the stage. Returning stars Letitia Wright and Winston Duke were among those present. David Jonsson, who will assume the role of T’Challa, described his approach to the part, saying, "I want the screen to do the talking. But believe me, the honor is entirely mine." The project is framed in the film as introducing Jonsson’s T’Challa as the son of the previous Black Panther, the role formerly portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman.
The evening’s presentation included footage that depicts the villain Doctor Doom overpowering the Avengers in combat. That teaser material further revealed that Doom commands an army of Sentinels - the large mutant-hunting robots associated with Marvel’s X-Men comics - which play a role in the sequence shown to the audience.
Marvel president Kevin Feige led the event and welcomed a large 'Avengers: Doomsday' contingent to the stage for a mega-panel. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo appeared alongside a broad cast list that included Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Simu Liu, James Marsden, David Harbour, Letitia Wright, Lewis Pullman and others. Hayley Atwell also participated in the panel and confirmed she will return to the franchise as Peggy Carter.
As part of the presentation, each panel attendee was presented with a Doctor Doom mask and cloak. Robert Downey Jr. addressed the crowd in character as Victor von Doom and encouraged those onstage to don the provided apparel. In character, Downey Jr. quipped, "It isn’t easy being green." The panel also included surprise appearances from Jon Bernthal, who portrays The Punisher, and Ryan Reynolds, who returns as Deadpool.
Marvel’s film library has been a major commercial success, with the franchise having generated nearly $33 billion at global box offices - the highest total reported for any film franchise. The studio’s 2019 release 'Avengers: Endgame' remains one of the highest-grossing films worldwide, ranking as the second-highest-grossing movie of all time.
'Avengers: Doomsday' is scheduled for release on December 18, the same day as the third installment of Warner Bros.'s 'Dune' series, setting up a box-office contest that has been informally referred to as "Dunesday." Following 'Doomsday,' Marvel’s next major franchise entry identified in the lineup is 'Avengers: Secret Wars,' which is scheduled to reach theaters in December 2027.
Separately, the schedule for Disney’s D23 convention was noted: D23 will take place from August 14 to August 16, 2026, in Anaheim, California, and Marvel is expected to maintain a prominent presence at that event.
Further details about individual release dates, additional creative personnel, and expanded plot information were not provided at the Comic-Con presentation. The studio’s announcements at the panel focused on casting confirmations, selective footage previews, and release-date placements for the highlighted films.