Robert Downey Jr. is Doctor Doom! The Highlights of the San Diego Comic-Con 2024

All information from the world of Marvel and DC

by Jonas Reichel on

A veritable celebration for all comic book fans! From July 25 to July 28, 2024, the annual Comic-Con took place in San Diego, where big studios provided new insights into their upcoming projects. And we have summarized all the highlights of the convention for you!

DCU

Let's kick off with James Gunn's DCU, which mainly attracted attention with updates on its upcoming series projects. Gunn also used the stage to introduce the DCU's new logo: a round, blue and white seal, based on the old bullet logo by Milton Glaser, which was used from 1977 to 2005. This is a further indication that the company clearly wants to return to its roots and set itself apart from the previous DCEU.

With "Batman: Caped Crusader", we can also expect a contemporary reinterpretation of the Dark Knight, in which Bruce Wayne has to deal with a female version of the Penguin. The production is being handled by Bruce Timm, who was also involved in "Batman: The Animated Series".

Creature Commandos

Another highlight was the introduction of "Creature Commandos", an animated series due for release in December 2024. At the center of the story is Task Force M, a group of monsters and unconventional antiheroes put together by Amanda Waller and Rick Flag Sr. The first trailer shown at the convention promises a lot of violence and weird humor - in the style of "Suicide Squad".

Marvel

Thunderbolts and Captain America: Brave New World

At Marvel, the audience was able to see some first scenes from the MCU film "Thunderbolts" - Marvel's counterpart to DC's Suicide Squad. Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford and Giancarlo Esposito, among others, also walked onto the stage to promote "Captain America: Brave New World". Ford emphasized that he was looking forward to becoming a member of the Marvel universe, while Giancarlo Esposito revealed initial information about his role: He will portray Seth Voelker alias Sidewinder, the leader of the Serpent Society. There was already a lot of speculation about the star's role beforehand.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

A different movie has now been given its final official title: "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" will at last make the superhero group part of the MCU! Starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn, the film is set in a retro-futuristic version of the 1960s and promises to be a true spectacle. The first scenes include Mr. Fantastic running a science program and The Thing taking part in a dating show.

Director Matt Shakman described the movie as an optimistic adventure about traveling to the stars. Fittingly, the iconic Fantasticar flew through the hall. Filming is set to begin this week in London; "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" will then be released in cinemas on July 25, 2025.

Avengers 5: Doomsday and Avengers 6: Secret Wars

To conclude the presentation, Marvel came up with another surprise that few people would have expected. First, Kevin Feige revealed that the Avengers' fifth adventure will now be called "Avengers: Doomsday" and, like part 6, will once again be directed by the Russo brothers.

In keeping with this, a number of Doctor Doom characters entered the stage. One of them eventually came to the fore and removed the iconic mask from his face. Underneath was none other than Robert Downey Jr., who announced his comeback with the words "New Mask, Same Task". The cheers were endless, even if the question now naturally arises as to how the return of the former "Iron Man" actor will play out. However, as we already know, the multiverse and its variations of well-known characters offer countless possibilities.

Either way, the MCU has now apparently found its new main villain - who plays a key role in the comic book version of the sixth Avengers film "Secret Wars" anyway. It is also possible that Doctor Doom will already make a small appearance in "The Fantastic Four" film. After all, he is the big antagonist of the superhero squad, who are likewise set to make an appearance in the two "Avengers" movies. "Avengers 5: Doomsday" will be released on May 1, 2026 and "Avengers 6: Secret Wars" on May 7, 2027. We are very excited!

More Comic-Con Highlights

But there was also some exciting news outside of Marvel and DC: It was announced, for example, that Michael C. Hall is to return as the charismatic killer Dexter Morgan in the sequel series "Dexter: Resurrection". Amazon's "The Boys" universe, meanwhile, will be expanded with the prequel "Vought Rising". The series is set in the 1950s and Jensen Ackles' Soldier Boy and Aya Cash's Stormfront will be playing a pivotal role.

Image of Avengers 5: Doomsday, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Jurassic World: Rebirth