Comic Con's Marvelous Marvel Mysteries

Dedicated Marvel enthusiasts crammed into the colossal cavern of Hall H at this year's San Diego Comic Con, some adding new levels of commitment to their fanboy badges by camping out for more than 30 revitalizing hours. Yet, as the mid-night event concluded, many were left murmuring among themselves, "Wait, was that all?"

An unexpected delay of what felt like an eternity (but in reality, only 30 minutes) initiated the panel's proceedings on a slightly sour note. This mishap was soon forgotten, though, when Marvel Studios guru Kevin Feige celebrated writer and producer Stephen Wacker's upgraded gig to Marvel Comics editor-in-chief. He whet the audience's anticipation further by playing a trailer for the "Avengers: Endgame" encore special, sneakily named "Endgame Encore," bulked up with an enticing preview of “Doomsday.” However, these dedicated fans wanted new tasty tidbits, not reheated leftovers from a movie they've likely re-watched until the disc was worn out.

Ryan Gosling being announced as the lead for a Ghost Rider movie created a surprise splash, especially considering Gosling has been magnetized towards this role for years purportedly. In a fun back-and-forth, "Happy Sad Confused" podcast host Josh Horowitz humorously recounted all the times he's been as persistent as a dog with a bone, questioning Gosling about the whispered-about film. It was a challenging moment to decipher for those who aren't hanging on every MCU rumor. Given the unfulfilled promise of Marvel's "Blade" movie, even with the director of the successful “Deadpool and Wolverine” movie, Shawn Levy, secured for Ghost Rider, fans could be forgiven for adopting an "I'll see it when I believe it" perspective.

Another puzzling point on Marvel’s agenda came with an oddly-executed Deadpool appearance. As the Doomsday cast assembled on stage, the familiar Deadpool voice arose from the sea of spectators. The beloved character, donned in his gray X-Force suit, materialized amid the crowd, alas, without revealing the identity behind the mask, leaving fans on a cliffhanger. The usually jovial Russo brothers kept up the mystery, despite rumors of Deadpool's cameo in both “Doomsday” and 2027’s “Secret Wars."

Without missing a beat, Feige and the Russos moved onto premiering an exclusive Doomsday trailer. This offered more insight into Downey’s villainous character, despite leaning on previously-seen footage, and expanded on Doom’s troubled past. The big "wow" moment was the resurrection of giant Sentinel robots from the "X-Men" universe as they prepared for a showdown with the heroes.

Finally came the announcement for Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther 3,” confirming an industry whisper. The stellar David Jonsson will step into the title role as T'Challa II, the son of the highly respected, late Chadwick Boseman's hero. His rising star status and commendable performance in Stephen King’s “The Long Walk” adaptation last year make him a thrilling addition to Marvel's future.

Safe to say, the future of Marvel, starting with Ghost Rider and Black Panther 3, lined-up for 2028, appears to be a closely-held secret, with nary an X-Men snippet shared on stage. What we do know is that "Doomsday"-destined to be the next MCU sensation-faces stiff competition with Warner Bros.' "Dune: Part 3," both scheduled for a December 18 release. This upcoming "Dunesday" is sure to be an exciting showdown. Despite Comic Con’s surprising lack of announcements, the event is still undoubtedly our go-to for Marvel mythology, and we bet D23 will have plenty more to unveil in the coming weeks!