Even if we couldn’t get to Comic Con in San Diego this year, that doesn’t mean we weren’t paying attention to the big announcements. And boy were they big this year! Not only do we have a sneak peek at the newest John Wick movie, but we have both DC and Marvel announcements that will keep us going to the theater or tuning into new shows on Disney+. Be sure to check out the Marvel announcements for the next TWO phases as well – with movie and show announcements well in 2025 and what we have to look forward to!
I Am Groot
“I AM GROOT” – August 10, 2022
“I Am Groot” writer/director/executive producer Kirsten Lepore answered questions about the upcoming series and treated the audience to the trailer and new key art. A surprise screening of one of the shorts, “Groot Takes a Bath,” delighted everyone, and applause greeted the announcement of a second collection of shorts.
There’s no guarding the galaxy from this mischievous toddler! So get ready as Baby Groot takes center stage in his very own collection of shorts, exploring his glory days growing up—and getting into trouble—among the stars. “I Am Groot,” five original shorts featuring several new and unusual characters, stars everyone’s favorite little tree, Baby Groot, voiced by Vin Diesel, who voices Groot in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise.
The executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum and James Gunn.
“I Am Groot” launches exclusively on Disney+ August 10, with all five shorts available for viewing.
She Hulk – August 17th
In Marvel Studios’ “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany)—an attorney specializing in superhuman-oriented legal cases—must navigate the complicated life of a single, 30-something who also happens to be a green 6-foot-7-inch superpowered hulk. The nine-episode comedy series welcomes a host of MCU vets, including Mark Ruffalo as Smart Hulk, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/the Abomination, and Benedict Wong as Wong, as well as Jameela Jamil, Josh Segarra, Ginger Gonzaga, Jon Bass and Renée Elise Goldsberry.
Directed by Kat Coiro and Anu Valia.
AUDIENCES “HORROR-FIED” BY “BARBARIAN” AT SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON SCREENING – In Theaters September 9th
San Diego Comic-Con audiences were “horror-fied” by 20th Century Studios’ and New Regency’s terrifying thriller “Barbarian” at a special screening earlier this evening attended by writer-director Zach Cregger with a surprise appearance by cast member Justin Long. Photos from the event, along with a new clip from the film, are available now. The film will open in theaters in the U.S. and Canada on Friday, September 9.
In “Barbarian,” a young woman traveling to Detroit for a job interview books a rental home. But when she arrives late at night, she discovers that the house is double booked, and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgment, she decides to spend the evening, but soon discovers that there’s a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest.
From 20th Century Studios and New Regency, “Barbarian” stars Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, Justin Long, Matthew Patrick Davis, Richard Brake, Jaymes Butler and Kurt Braunohler. The film was written and directed by Zach Cregger. The producers are Arnon Milchan, Roy Lee, Raphael Margules and J.D. Lifshitz. Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Natalie Lehmann, Danny Chan, Alex Lebovici and Bill Skarsgård are the film’s executive producers.
Black Adam – October 21, 2022
From New Line Cinema, Dwayne Johnson stars in the action adventure “Black Adam.” The first-ever feature film to explore the story of the DC Super Hero comes to the big screen under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”).
Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the ancient gods—and imprisoned just as quickly—Black Adam (Johnson) is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.
Johnson stars alongside Aldis Hodge (“City on a Hill,” “One Night in Miami”) as Hawkman, Noah Centineo (“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”) as Atom Smasher, Sarah Shahi (“Sex/Life,” “Rush Hour 3”) as Adrianna, Marwan Kenzari (“Murder on the Orient Express,” “The Mummy”) as Ishmael, Quintessa Swindell (“Voyagers,” “Trinkets”) as Cyclone, Bodhi Sabongui (“A Million Little Things”) as Amon, and Pierce Brosnan (the “Mamma Mia!” and James Bond franchises) as Dr. Fate.
Collet-Serra directed from a screenplay by Adam Sztykiel and Rory Haines & Sohrab Noshirvani, screen story by Adam Sztykiel and Rory Haines & Sohrab Noshirvani, based on characters from DC. Black Adam was created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. The film’s producers were Beau Flynn, Dwayne Johnson, Hiram Garcia and Dany Garcia, with Richard Brener, Walter Hamada, Dave Neustadter, Chris Pan, Eric McLeod, Geoff Johns and Scott Sheldon.
“Black Adam” smashes into theaters and IMAX internationally beginning 19 October 2022 and in North America on October 21, 2022. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Black Panther – Wakanda Forever – November 11, 2022
In Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.Introducing Tenoch Huerta as Namor, king of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livanalli.
Feige also shared that the film is the final title in Phase 4. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 11, 2022.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods – December 21, 2022
From New Line Cinema comes “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which continues the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word “SHAZAM!,” is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego, Shazam. “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” stars returning cast members Zachary Levi (“Thor: Ragnarok”) as Shazam; Asher Angel (“Andi Mack”) as Billy Batson; Jack Dylan Grazer (“It Chapter Two”) as Freddy Freeman; Adam Brody (“Promising Young Woman”) as Super Hero Freddy; Ross Butler (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) as Super Hero Eugene; Meagan Good (“Day Shift”) as Super Hero Darla; D.J. Cotrona (“G.I. Joe: Retaliation”) as Super Hero Pedro; Grace Caroline Currey (“Annabelle: Creation”) as Mary Bromfield / Super Hero Mary; Faithe Herman (“This Is Us”) as Darla Dudley; Ian Chen (“A Dog’s Journey”) as Eugene Choi; Jovan Armand (“Second Chances”) as Pedro Pena; Marta Milans (“White Lines”) as Rosa Vasquez; Cooper Andrews (“The Walking Dead”) as Victor Vasquez; with Djimon Hounsou (“A Quiet Place Part II”) as Wizard. Joining the cast are Rachel Zegler (“West Side Story”), with Lucy Liu (“Kung Fu Panda” franchise) and Helen Mirren (“F9: The Fast Saga”). The film is directed by David F. Sandberg (“Shazam!,” “Annabelle: Creation”) and produced by Peter Safran (“Aquaman,” “The Suicide Squad”). It is written by Henry Gayden (“Shazam!,” “There’s Someone Inside Your House”) and Chris Morgan (“Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw,” “The Fate of the Furious”), based on characters from DC;Shazam! was created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. Executive producers are Walter Hamada, Adam Schlagman, Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Victoria Palmeri, Marcus Viscidi and Geoff Johns. Joining director Sandberg behind-the-camera are director of photography Gyula Pados (the “Jumanji” franchise), production designer Paul Kirby (“The Old Guard,” “Jason Bourne”) and editor Michel Aller (“Shazam!,” “The Nun”). The music supervisor is Season Kent (“DC League of Super-Pets,” “The Addams Family 2”) and the music is by Christophe Beck (“Free Guy,” “Frozen II”). Visual effects supervisors are Bruce Jones (“Aquaman,” “It”) and Raymond Chen (“Alita: Battle Angel,” “The Meg”). The costume designer is Louise Mingenbach (“Jumanji: The Next Level,” “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”). New Line Cinema presents A Peter Safran Production of A David F. Sandberg Film, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which is set to open in theaters internationally beginning 15 December 2022 and in North America on December 21, 2022.
KEANU REEVES SURPRISES FANS AT SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON, REVEALING SNEAK PEEK OF JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 – March 24, 2023
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) takes on his most lethal adversaries yet in the upcoming fourth installment of the series. With the price on his head ever increasing, Wick takes his fight against the High Table global as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Osaka to Berlin.
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne,
Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, and Ian McShane
Directed by: Chad Stahelski
Screenplay by: Shay Hatten and Michael Finch
Based on Characters Created by: Derek Kolstad
Produced by: Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Chad Stahelski
Executive Producers: Keanu Reeves, Louise Rosner, David Leitch, Michael Paseorn
Disney+ Announcements
“SPIDER-MAN: FRESHMAN YEAR”
Jeff Trammell teased the show with the cast of characters, and Ryan Meinerding showed off the new Spider-Man suit designed for the series. A fun reveal was that moderator Paul F. Tompkins will be playing a character in the series. A second season was also announced, aptly titled “Spider-Man: Sophomore Year.”
“Spider-Man: Freshman Year” isan animated series that follows Peter Parker on his way to becoming Spider-Man in the MCU, with a journey unlike we’ve ever seen and a style that celebrates the character’s early comic book roots. Executive producer Jeff Trammel serves as head writer.
“Spider-Man: Freshman Year” comes exclusively to Disney+ in 2024.
“WHAT IF…?”
Bryan Andrews and AC Bradley talked about the Emmy-nominated series and showed the trailer for Season Two. The audience went wild when, at the end of the presentation, a surprise screening of one episode of the highly anticipated next season was shown, and a third season was announced.
“What If…?” Season 2 continues the journey with The Watcher as our guide through the vast multiverse, introducing brand new and familiar faces throughout the MCU. The animated series questions, revisits, and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments with an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles. Directed by executive producer Bryan Andrews with executive producer AC Bradley as head writer.
Season two of “What If…?” launches exclusively on Disney+ in early 2023.
“MARVEL ZOMBIES”
Bryan Andrews offered background on the series and its origins spawning from an episode of “What If…?” Season 1, as well as concept art.
The animated series “Marvel Zombies” from Marvel Studios reimagines the Marvel Universe as a new generation of heroes battle against an ever-spreading zombie scourge. Directed by executive producer Bryan Andrews and written by executive producer Zeb Wells.
“Marvel Zombies” will stream exclusively on Disney+.
“X-MEN ’97
Cheers erupted when Brad Winderbaum spoke fondly of the legacy of “X-Men: The Animated Series” and presented a sizzle reel featuring cast and creatives from the popular ‘90s animated show. “X-Men ‘97” writer and executive producer Beau DeMayo then spoke about the new series, shared artwork, and presented an animatic AV piece. DeMayo also mentioned that the show will use the original “X-Men” theme music. A second season was also announced.
“X-MEN ’97” isan animated series from Marvel Studios that explores new stories in the iconic ’90s timeline of the original series. Beau DeMayo is executive producer and head writer.
“X-Men ’97”” will begin streaming exclusively on Disney+ Fall 2023.
Marvel Announcements
MULTIVERSE SAGA: Two Avengers Films to Culminate the Saga
Fans were the first to learn that Phases 4, 5 and 6 are officially part of the Multiverse Saga, which will conclude with two all-new Avengers films, including “AVENGERS: THE KANG DYNASTY,” releasing May 2, 2025, and “AVENGERS: SECRET WARS,” which is slated for Nov. 7, 2025.
PHASE 5: Talent Takes the Stage, Plus New Titles and Dates Revealed
Feige revealed that Phase 5 kicks off in 2023 with “ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA,” opening Feb. 17, 2023. Director Peyton Reed and stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors and Kathryn Newton engaged in a spirited Q&A with the host. Epic in scale and tone, “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” is a sci-fi adventure that is decidedly unique to the franchise. Fans in the room were given a special look at the upcoming film.
Super Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and The Wasp. Together, with Hope’s parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.
Next up, the thrilling new series “SECRET INVASION” launches on Disney+ in Spring 2023. Cobie Smulders, who reprises her role of Maria Hill—a decorated spy and Nick Fury’s loyal #2—was on hand to talk about the new show. To the audience’s delight, a clip was shown to give a glimpse of what’s in store.
Marvel Studios’ “Secret Invasion” stars Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as the Skrull Talos—characters who first met in “Captain Marvel.” They are joined by Kingsley Ben-Adir, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman and Regé-Jean Page.
The crossover event series showcases a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years.
“GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3” heads to theaters on May 5, 2023. There were a lot of Guardians on hand to dish about the highly anticipated third installment of “Guardians of the Galaxy.” With director James Gunn taking the lead, cast members Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Will Poulter and Maria Bakalova took part in an engaging discussion. Chukwudi Iwuji arrived on stage in costume, revealing to excited fans that he’ll be portraying High Evolutionary in the film. The audience was treated to a special look at the upcoming feature film.
In Marvel Studios “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
New details emerged regarding a host of previously announced titles in Phase 5. Streaming exclusively on Disney+ in 2023 are highly anticipated series currently in production, including “ECHO,” which is slated for Summer 2023; “LOKI SEASON 2,” alsodebuting Summer 2023; and “IRONHEART,” streaming Fall 2023. “AGATHA: COVEN OF CHAOS” begins filming later this year with a debut date in Winter 2023.
Phase 5 theatrical releases include “THE MARVELS,” directed by Nia DaCosta, which hits theaters July 28, 2023;and“BLADE,” which begins shooting this October and opens in theaters Nov. 3, 2023.
Feige revealed for the first time today a trio of captivating projects debuting in 2024 that garnered a huge response from fans.
- “CAPTAIN AMERICA: NEW WORLD ORDER” opens in theaters on May 3, 2024.
- “DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN,” an 18-episode season with Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio returning, streams on Disney+ in Spring 2024.
- “THUNDERBOLTS,” featuring an exciting new group of heroes, is slated for theaters on July 26, 2024.
PHASE 6: “Fantastic Four” Precedes New Avengers Titles
Looking ahead, Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe promises compelling storytelling and Marvel Studios’ signature style of adventure.
- “FANTASTIC FOUR” hits theaters on Nov. 8, 2024. Production kicks off next year for the feature film that introduces Marvel’s most iconic family.
- “AVENGERS: THE KANG DYNASTY” opens in theaters May 2, 2025.
- “AVENGERS: SECRET WARS” is slated for release on Nov. 7, 2025.
