San Diego Comic Con was this past weekend, and the internet was erupting with reactions to major announcements and new trailers from Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and more! Here is your one-stop-shop for all the biggest news from SDCC as well as the titles we recommend stocking up on in the coming months.
Jump around to your preferred topic:
- Marvel
- Captain America: Brave New World (movie)
- Thunderbolts (movie)
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps (movie)
- Avengers: Doomsday (movie)
- Avengers: Secret Wars (movie)
- Ultimate Universe: One Year In (comic)
- One World Under Doom (comics)
- 8 Deaths of Spider-Man (comic)
- West Coast Avengers (comic)
- Laura Kinney: Wolverine (comic)
- New Comic Trailers
- Marvel: Rivals – Jeff the Shark and Thor (video game)
- DC
- Star Wars
- Star Trek
- Hellboy
- Critical Role
- The Lord of the Rings
- Percy Jackson
- Doctor Who
Jump to our list of recommended titles to stock up on!
Marvel:
Captain America: Brave New World
Hall H attendees were treated to an exclusive look at footage from the film and were joined by Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford on stage. Giancarlo Esposito’s role was finally confirmed to be Seth Voelker, aka Sidewinder, the Leader of the Serpent Society. One of the biggest reveals from the footage shown was that the remains of the Celestial Tiamut from the 2021 film Eternals will play a major role in the film’s conflict. Most notably, that the remains of Tiamut house a highly valuable new element, Adamantium. This is significant for multiple reasons as this paves the way for Wolverine and other X-Men characters’ introduction into the main MCU Earth-616, but this also answers one of the biggest lingering plot threads from Eternals, which has only been minimally referenced in the many MCU movies and series since 2021.
Thunderbolts*
Marvel’s misfit team will be making its MCU debut in 2025, and footage was shown to Hall H attendees for the very first time. The film’s director, Jake Schreier, was joined by stars Geraldine Viswanathan, Lewis Pullman, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, and David Harbour (in full Red Guardian costume). Fans online have compared the footage to James Gunn’s 2021 film The Suicide Squad. Not much is known about this film other than the character line-up, so the asterisk in the title remains a mystery.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
While filming has yet to begin on Marvel’s first family’s debut in the MCU, director Matt Shakman took the stage with Pedro Pascal (Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (The Invisible Woman), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing), and Joseph Quinn (The Human Torch). A lot of talk was had about the retrofuturistic setting of the film (in an alternate Earth’s 1960s)—but it wasn’t all talk! The iconic Fantasticar was sent over the stage and floating over the crowd. Footage was shown, although officially filming will start this week. The footage included Reed Richards in a video for the Future Foundation, a think tank of superhero futurists, and concluded with the eyes of Galactus peeking through the windows of the Baxter Building.
Avengers: Doomsday
Many have been wondering what would be done about the fifth Avengers film, following the removal of actor Jonathan Majors from the franchise and the downplaying of his character, Kang the Conqueror—who was slated to be the main villain of the previously titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Well, it seems we have our answer in the form of the massive announcement that now-Oscar-winner Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the MCU. No, not as Tony Stark/Iron Man, but as Dr. Doom himself, Victor von Doom. The massive announcement is currently still being processed by fans online, but the reveal in Hall H sent the crowd into an eruption of applause. It’s not clear yet whether this means that Downey Jr. will be playing a variant form of Tony Stark, or whether his Victor von Doom will be the main Dr. Doom for the future of the MCU.
The announcement came alongside the reveal that Joe and Anthony Russo, who previously directed the second two Captain America films and Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, would be returning to direct this film, now titled Avengers: Doomsday. This film will fully replace Avengers: The Kang Dynasty on Marvel Studios’ slate and will be released in May 2026—leading directly into Avengers: Secret Wars, also to be directed by the Russos.
Avengers: Secret Wars
Apart from the announcement of the return of the Russo brothers to direct, not much was revealed about Avengers: Secret Wars. Unlike the fifth Avengers film, this sixth entry has not been retitled. However, it is safe to assume that much about the film’s story has been changed since the Studios’ pivot from Kang to Dr. Doom. The film also sports a new release date of May 2027, exactly one year after the release of Avengers: Doomsday—mirroring what Marvel Studios did with the release of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame in 2018-2019. Seemingly indicating that these films will act almost as two-parter.
Ultimate Universe: One Year In
Moving to the comics side, Marvel announced Ultimate Universe: One Year In #1, a special one-shot finale to the first year of Marvel’s recently revived Ultimate line. This oversized one-shot, written by Deniz Camp, sets the stage for the second year of the Ultimate line and will debut the Ultimate versions of two major Marvel characters. Check out the cover below.
One World Under Doom
Dr. Doom is taking over the comics side as well as the film side. Fans will be able to discover why the Marvel Universe submits to Dr. Doom in Blood Hunt #5, on sale this week. Little more was announced for this new status quo for Marvel Comics, starting in 2025, but you can check out the teaser image below to start forming your own theories.
8 Deaths of Spider-Man
A new saga was announced for the ongoing The Amazing Spider-Man series from Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness. The 8 Deaths of Spider-Man will start in November in The Amazing Spider-Man #61 and will follow the wall-crawler as he is tasked saving the world from an evil god and his scions. The new Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Doom, has delegated this to Spider-Man and has given him a new, magic-powered suit and eight extra lives to take on the task. Covers for the first two issues in this story have been revealed, check them out below.
West Coast Avengers
This newly announced #1 of the iconic team features an odd member out: a seemingly redeemed Ultron. Writer Gerry Duggan and artist Danny Kim will be taking on this series in which Iron Man and War Machine put together a new team of Avengers—which will include villains seeking a path to redemption. Ultron will act as their case study, creating tensions among the other members of the team. Check out the revealed covers below.
Laura Kinney: Wolverine
The “Woman of Marvel” panel returned to SDCC this year and along with it came the surprise announcement that Erica Shultz would be writing a new series for Laura Kinney, previously known as X-23. Schultz will team with artist Giada Belviso on this new series that will debut this December. Check out the revealed cover below.
New Comic Trailers
In addition to the announcements of new series, Venom War, Wolverine: Revenge, and X-Men: From The Ashes, all received new trailers. Check them out below.
Marvel: Rivals – Jeff the Shark and Thor
Marvel Games held a presentation during SDCC during which they highlighted Marvel Rivals from developer NetEase. The game is currently running a closed beta which ends of August 5th. Fans of Marvel and hero-based multiplayer games like Overwatch have already taken to Rivals as the beta has been posting impressive numbers, peaking at 52,671 concurrent players. The most notable announcement to come out of SDCC is that two new characters would be added to the game, Thor and Jeff the Land Shark. Plenty of people were surprised by the inclusion of Jeff, but he’s proven to be a hit with fans. Interest for this character, who first appeared in West Coast Avengers vol. 3 #7 in 2019, will likely grow thanks to Marvel Rivals. The game has already spotlighted a number of other more obscure Marvel characters like Luna Snow. Check out Jeff the Land Shark’s reveal trailer for Marvel Rivals below.
DC:
New DC Studios Logo
While James Gunn could not be present due to his directorial obligations on Superman: Legacy and Peacemaker season two, he still brought a fun reveal in the form of DC Studios’ official new logo. While technically the new logo for the studio, it’s a nod to an old DC Comics logo that was used from 1977-2005. James Gunn spoke passionately about the new logo in a video released online.
@officialjamesgunn DC Studios logo reveal at San Diego Comic-con. #DCStudios ♬ original sound – James Gunn
When shown in front of future DC Studios projects, the logo will be accompanied by a short animation, showing Superman as he originally appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938. Check it out below.
@officialjamesgunn #dcstudios ♬ original sound – James Gunn
Creature Commandos
While DC didn’t have a single unified presentation this year, several trailers still dropped for upcoming projects within other panels, including the “Jim Lee & Friends” panel. Among those was the first trailer for Creature Commandos, the upcoming debut of James Gunn’s new DCU. The animated series will star many returning cast members from 2021’s The Suicide Squad, including Viola Davis (Amanda Waller), Steve Agee (John Economos), and Sean Gunn (who previously played Weasel but will now also voice G.I. Robot). New cast members include Frank Grillo (Rick Flag Sr.), Indira Varma (Bride of Frankenstein), Alan Tudyk (Doctor Phosphorus), David Harbour (Eric Frankenstein), Anya Chalotra (Circe), Maria Bakalova (Princess Ilana Rostovic), and Zoë Chao (Nina Mazursky). Check out the trailer for the Max Original series below.
The Penguin
With a little over a month to go before its debut, fans were treated to a new trailer for the HBO Original series, The Penguin, set in Matt Reeves’ universe established in 2022’s The Batman. The series will take place approximately one week after the events of the film and will see Colin Farrell’s Penguin attempt to seize control over Gotham’s underworld. This will bring him in direct conflict the late-Carmine Falcone’s daughter, Sofia Falcone (played by Cristin Milioti). Showrunner Lauren LeFranc took to the stage at SDCC to reveal this new trailer and give details on the series, which will provide connective tissue between The Batman and the film’s upcoming sequel. Check out the trailer for The Penguin limited series below.
The Batman – Part II
Speaking of the sequel to 2022’s The Batman, Matt Reeves was also on the stage at SDCC and confirmed that filming for the highly anticipated sequel will begin next year. Unfortunately, we didn’t learn anything else about the film, so fans will have to check out The Penguin to learn more.
Superman & Lois Season Four
While a trailer for the final season of the CW’s final DC show was released last week, a new clip was shown at SDCC. The extended clip shows off the battle between Superman and Doomsday, teased at the end of season three. Superman & Lois will have a two-hour premiere of its final season on October 17th, and you can check out this new clip below.
Harley Quinn Season Five
The cast and crews of both Harley Quinn and the recently released Kite Man: Hell Yeah! took to the stage and teased what’s to come from both series. Most notably, exclusive footage from Harley Quinn season five was shown to attendees. In the new season, Harley and Poison Ivy will be leaving Gotham City to resettle in Metropolis, leaving behind some of their supporting cast and opening up space for new characters. The new season will debut in November of this year, so fans don’t have long to wait.
My Adventures with Superman Season Three
On the heels of the second season finale, new details were revealed about My Adventures with Superman season three at SDCC. It was confirmed by the show’s cast and crew that recording has already begun on the next season. The biggest reveal of the panel was that Superboy would be joining the cast in season three.
Absolute Universe
On the comics side, more announcements were made for the recently announced Absolute Universe. Among these includes Absolute Green Lantern, which will be written by Al Ewing with art by Jahnoy Lindsey. Among some of the details revealed is that the comic will be a first-contact story that will include several well-known Lanterns. Like with all of DC’s Absolute Universe comics, this will be a reimagining of the iconic characters. So while fans may know Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Sojourner Mullein, they may not be able to anticipate what we’ll see from them in this new series.
If you are unfamiliar, the Absolute line will feature completely new takes on iconic DC characters, set in an alternate universe that’s carries the influence of Darkseid, following the events of Absolute Power and The Dawn of DC publishing initiative. Absolute Superman will be written by Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval (November 6th), Absolute Batman will feature the team of Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta (October 9th), Absolute Wonder Woman will be written by Kelly Thompson with art by Hayden Sherman (October 23rd), and Absolute Flash—which was previously rumored and now confirmed—will be written by Jeff Lemire with artwork by Nick Robles. Check out a sketch of Sojourner Mullein in Absolute Green Lantern that was shown at SDCC below.
DC All In
In addition to the Absolute Universe series that were revealed or confirmed at SDCC, DC also announce two major new comic series coming as part of their new All In publishing initiative. Firstly, Mark Waid and Dan Mora will be working on Justice League Unlimited. This new Justice League series, which shares a name with the cartoon series which ran from 2004-2006, will be the first ongoing Justice League series since 2022. The first cover and concept art were shown to attendees.
The other major new series announced was another return of a major DC team, Justice Society of America. Jeff Lemire will be writing this series alongside Absolute Flash and he revealed in his newsletter that he will be drawing connecting variants for the first two issues. Check those out below.
Star Wars:
Star Wars: The Acolyte: Wayseeker
Following her major role in The Acolyte series, Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh will be the lead character of a new novel from author Justina Ireland. Random House Worlds will publish the adult novel and it will arrive next year. The story will explore Vernestra Rwoh’s life about 20 years prior to the events of The Acolyte, a giant leap from when we last saw the teenaged prodigy in Phase III of The High Republic storytelling. Check out the reveal below.
Star Wars: The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi
The popular High Republic comic series will be continuing under writer Cavan Scott and artist Marika Cresta, in a new series called Fear of the Jedi. This series will be released in February 2025 and will tie together characters from many previous High Republic comics and books. It will also feature the wookie Jedi Master Kelnacca, who recently appeared in The Acolyte. Check out the revealed cover below.
Star Wars: The Acolyte – Kelnacca
Speaking of the wookie Jedi, he will star in his own one-shot set to be released on September 4, 2024. This story will explore the Jedi’s life before the events of The Acolyte. Fans were shown the cover of this one-shot and some interior images which were later released online, check them out below and stock up on this one-shot that goes on FOC on Monday 8/5.
Star Wars: The Acolyte – Kelnacca
Price: $4.99
On sale: 9/4/24
FOC: 8/5/24
The Art of Star Wars Outlaws
Some footage was shown at SDCC for the new video game Star Wars Outlaws, but also announced was an art book for the game from Dark Horse. Covers and interiors were shared for this exciting title that will explore the distinct locations and underworld characters from the open-world game set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Check out some of the revealed images below.
Battle of Jakku — Insurgency Rising
Ahead of SDCC, StarWars.com revealed a number of new comics and graphic novels coming from Marvel and Dark Horse. Most notable a new maxi-series written by Alex Segura with art by Leonard Kirk, Stefano Raffaele, and Jethro Morales. Battle of Jakku — Insurgency Rising will follow the events of Star Wars #50 and Darth Vader #50 as the Marvel Star Wars series jumps over the events of Return of the Jedi to the end of the Galactic Civil War. The covers for all four issues were revealed, check them out below, along with the official description for issue #1, on sale October 2nd.
“In the wake of the battle of Endor, can Luke, Leia and the nascent new republic stave off an unexpected — and deadly — new threat?
A defiant imperial takes center stage — and goes on the offensive against the New Republic! Leia makes a startling discovery in the forests of Endor! Who are the mysterious and deadly acolytes of the beyond?! What is the new villain’s connection to Darth Vader? All this as the post-return of the Jedi storytelling begins!”
Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy Graphic Novel
A collection of the illustrated adaptations of the Star Wars prequel films was announced from Dark Horse. The collection arrives November 12th, but it’s already available for preorder and goes on FOC very soon on August 12th. Check out the cover below and click it to read more and order.
Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy Graphic Novel
Price: $19.99
On sale: 11/12/24
FOC: 8/12/24
Star Trek:
IDW Renews Star Trek License
IDW Publishing announced that it had extended its partnership with Paramount Global to continue publishing Star Trek comic books. IDW Publishing has been publishing Star Trek comics since 2007 and will celebrate 500 Star Trek issues across various ongoing and limited series with the appropriately titled Star Trek #500 in September. Davidi Jonas, CEO of IDW Media Holdings said the following in a press release:
“Star Trek is not just an iconic franchise, but a universe that celebrates diversity and creativity… The Star Trek community is one that we’re proud to serve and be part of. The team at Paramount share our love of storytelling, universe expansion, and delighting fans. We are humbled and excited to renew our commitment, and plan on years of going boldly forward with our partners and fans.”
Star Trek: Section 31
First announced in April 2023, but now confirmed to be a movie instead of a series, Section 31 is a spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery starring Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh. Per the official announcement, Star Trek: Section 31 drops her Discovery character, Philippa Georgiou, (the mirror-universe warlord) back on the fringe of Federation activity, as part of a “secret division” of the Federation. The film is written by Craig Sweeny, directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, and stars Omari Hardwick (Power), Kacey Rohl (Hannibal), Sam Richardson (I Think You Should Leave), Miku Martineau (Kate), and more. The first trailer was revealed at SDCC, which you can check out below.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season Five
A teaser for the final season of the cult favorite show Star Trek: Lower Decks was released during a panel in Hall H. The frantic and comedic show is now confirmed to return on October 24th. Fans were disappointed to learn earlier this year that season 5 would be the end of Lower Decks and have been eager to keep the story going. IDW is publishing an interactive graphic novel set in the Lower Decks world that can be preordered now, Star Trek: Lower Decks—Warp Your Own Way. Check out the trailer for season 5 of the show below.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season Three
The first look at Strange New Worlds third season was shown during SDCC. Shooting for the season concluded last May but unfortunately it won’t premiere until 2025. Check out the teaser for Strange New Worlds season three below.
New Star Trek Comedy Series
In addition to the new trailers for ongoing series, a brand new show was announced for the Star Trek universe—the first ever Star Trek live-action comedy series, co-created by Lower Decks star Tawny Newsome and Haunted Mansion and Dear White People creator Justin Simien. A title has not yet been announced but an official logline was released:
“Federation outsiders serving a gleaming resort planet find out their day-to-day exploits are being broadcast to the entire quadrant.”
Hellboy:
Hellboy: The Crooked Man
The newest actor to play Hellboy, Jack Kesy, made his first public appearance at SDCC alongside his castmates in the new film, Jefferson White (Yellowstone), Adeline Rudolph (Resident Evil), director Brian Taylor, and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. A new trailer was shown to attendees and then released online by Variety. The trailer continues to show off the spooky vibes of Hellboy: The Crooked Man, which will be the first true horror film adaptation of the iconic character. The film is based on the comic storyline of the same name, written by Mignola, and the new trailer prominently shows off the titular characters. The Crooked Man is one of Mignola’s favorite stories he’s written, and if the trailer is anything to go off of, the film will be creepy, action-packed, and very faithful to the source material. Check out the trailer below and get an idea of the many monsters and characters that will feature in this film, due out later this year.
Critical Role:
The Legend of Vox Machina Season Three
The popular animated show based on the web series of the same name received a full trailer for its third season at SDCC. The Legend of Vox Machina also has a series of tie-in comics from Dark Horse as well as tie-in books from the world of Critical Role from Random House Worlds. Check out the official description and trailer for The Legend of Vox Machina season three, premiering in October, below.
“Everything is at stake in the long-awaited Season Three of The Legend of Vox Machina. The Chroma Conclave’s path of destruction spreads like wildfire while the Cinder King hunts down Vox Machina. Our lovable band of misfits must rise above inner (and outer) demons to try and save their loved ones, Tal’Dorei, and all of Exandria.”
Mighty Nein
An entirely new animated series from Critical Role was also shown off at SDCC in the form of a short animatic. The show is in early development but will be an adaptation of the second Critical Role campaign and follows a different group of characters than The Legend of Vox Machina. Critical Role fans have already reacted very positively to the clip for Mighty Nein, despite its unfinished nature. Check out the animatic shown to attendees below.
The Lord of the Rings:
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Amazon showed off an action-packed trailer for the second season of The Rings of Power at SDCC. The trailer for the new season shows off many of the fan-favorite characters and villains from season one that will be returning, but also showed off new characters like Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear), an enigmatic character well known to Tolkien fans. Check out the trailer for season two below.
Percy Jackson:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season Two
A panel was held at SDCC for Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and details were revealed about the show’s second season, which will be based on the second Percy Jackson book, The Sea of Monsters. Season two will begin filming this week and a big casting announcement was made: Daniel Diemer will play Percy’s cyclops half-brother Tyson. The character was adapted previously in the unpopular 2013 adaptation film, so this will provide another chance for fans of the books to see one of their favorite characters on screen. The Disney+ show has already been a much bigger hit with fans and the series author, Rick Riordan, so it’s safe to assume Diemer’s Tyson will be much closer to what fans want to see.
Doctor Who:
The War Between the Land and the Sea
A new spin-off show of Doctor Who was announced to fans at SDCC. The series will come to the BBC and Disney+ and begins filming next month. The series is created by Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies and will star Russell Tovey (American Horror Story: NYC) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Loki) along with the return of Doctor Who actors Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient. Check out a quote from Davies about the show below.
“I’m so lucky to work with such a magnificent cast. And this is a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake The Whoniverse to its foundations. When the Doctor’s not in town, the whole of humanity is in trouble.”
Recommended Titles:
Here are the titles that you can order today that we recommend stocking up on in the wake of SDCC. Each title connects to one or more of the announcements covered in this recap and will be something fans will be on the look out for in the coming weeks and months.
![X-23 OMNIBUS VOL. 1 [DM ONLY]](https://images.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9781302951610)
![VENOM WAR #1 [VW]](https://images.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/75960620887600111)
