Robert Downey Jr. returns to Marvel films, but not as Iron Man

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Marvel Studios returned to San Diego Comic Con with dancing Deadpool variants and a choir for a panel with news about the next two ‘Avengers’ films and surprise guests including Harrison Ford and Robert Downey Jr.

Downey returns to the Marvel films, but not as Iron Man. He will play the villain Victor Von Doom, or Doctor Doom, in at least one of the upcoming “Avengers” films. Downey kicked off Marvel’s film successes in ‘Iron Man’ and played the popular character in nine films, but appeared on Saturday wearing the mask of Dr. Doom and a green cloak.

“New mask, same job,” Downey said to wild cheers.

The Russo brothers, who will direct the film starring Downey, said his performance in the film is “a testament to the unimaginable possibilities in the Marvel multi-universe.”

The reveal capped off a jubilant return from Marvel to Comic-Con’s Hall H.

Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, opened the panel by saying that thanks to the success of “Deadpool & Wolverine” this weekend, the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe had now reached the $30 billion mark in box office revenue. In a nod to a scene in the film, a choir sang Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” before Feige spoke.

Deadpool & Wolverine, released Thursday has already broken one record and could shatter even more on opening weekend. Feige used Saturday’s panel to chart the course for the MCU, unveiling Ford’s character in the next ‘Captain America’ film and unveiling ‘Avengers: Secret Wars and ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ as the titles of the next two films in the epic superhero team-up series. “Doomsday” will hit theaters in 2026.

Feige said all of the actors introduced Saturday will appear in the upcoming “Avengers” films, which will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The brothers guided the “Avengers” franchise through the sprawling storyline that concluded in 2019 with “Avengers: Endgame,” which included the death of Downey’s Tony Stark/Iron Man character.

“When we directed ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ Joe and I truly believed that this was the end of the road for us in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because we had put all our passion, our love and our imagination into ‘The Winter Soldier’ . ‘ in ‘Civil War,’ in ‘Infinity War,’ culminating in ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ said Anthony Russo. “Those four films were incredible and it allowed us to creatively work on the film with all our emotions. In the time since, Joe and I, through a very special story, may have come to see a way forward together with you.”

They called “Secret Wars” the “greatest story Marvel Comics ever told,” and Joe said it was the first comic book series he read as a kid that made him “fall in love with comics.”

Saturday’s session comes after Marvel skipped last year’s convention due to the Hollywood strikeswhich prevented writers and actors from speaking on panels.

The cast of “Captain America: Brave New World” – Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez and Anthony Mackie – took the stage first and teased details about the upcoming film. Esposito revealed that he will be playing villain Seth Voelker, also known as Sidewinder.

When asked what it was like to take part in a Marvel project, Esposito said it was a “dream come true.

“When your dreams come true and you get the call, you walk through the door,” he continued. “I am very grateful to all the fans who really made this dream come true, because it was the fan casting that connected us.”

The cast then stepped aside to share a scene from the movie on the big screen, revealing that President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by Ford, hopes to rebuild the Avengers with Mackie’s Sam Wilson. It also showed Ford’s character in the Red Hulk.

Ford joined the panel after fans were treated to clips from the film and flexed for the roaring crowd. He also expressed his excitement about his latest role, saying, “I am thrilled and proud to be joining the Marvel Universe.”

The cast and director of “Thunderbolts(asterisk)” also surprised fans with a short clip from the film. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbor (in full costume and first in the role of the Red Guardian) stormed the stage and shared some more details about their characters.

The film is scheduled for release in May 2025.

The final film featured on the panel was “The Fantastic Four,” starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The film will begin shooting on Tuesday in London, Feige said.

He said the film will hit theaters almost exactly a year from now in July 2025.

Following a video director Matt Shakman created especially for Comic-Con that featured the cast in all their ’60s glory, he and Feige revealed the film’s official title: “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”

No mention was made during the session of Jonathan Majors, who played the villain Kang the Conqueror and was previously a key part of Marvel’s “Avengers” plans. The actor had been fired by the studio after he was convicted in December of assaulting an ex-girlfriend. He was sentenced to a year-long counseling program in April and avoided jail time.

Marvel already took over Hall H on Thursday with one electrical panel in honor of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ during which the audience was treated to a full screening and surprise guests took to the stage alongside stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

The growing enthusiasm for the film at Comic-Con was echoed across the country as fans rushed to see the film in theaters, making the film the new record holder for Thursday preview for an R-rated film. The comic book movie sold one estimated at $38.5 million worth of movie tickets for Thursday’s preview screenings.

The success of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ made for a sleepy year for Marvel and eased concerns about its subpar box office at the end of 2023. The superhero factory hit rock bottom in November with the launch of “The Miracles,” which opened with just $47 million.