Doctor Doom is already destroying things in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s got his eyes set on the Fantastic Four, Avengers, and now with his movie, Avengers: Doomsday, having been pushed until December 2026, he’s taken a big bite out of San Diego Comic-Con too. Marvel Studios won’t have one of its signature Hall H panels this year.
The news was first reported by the Hollywood Reporter which io9 then confirmed with a source at Marvel Studios. The reasoning is all pretty understandable. Avengers: Doomsday was supposed to come out in May 2026 but is now coming out in December 2026. That means there will be a whole other Comic-Con before its release. With the cast now filming that movie, the studio must have felt like it simply couldn’t deliver on the blockbuster panels of the past. And so, it’s taking the year off.
This isn’t the first time Marvel Studios has skipped Hall H either. In 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2023, the studio skipped because either movies were too busy with production or there simply wasn’t enough concrete news to share in order to live up to the studio’s standard. And make no mistake, Marvel has high standards when it comes to Hall H. Anytime there is a panel, it becomes the biggest event of the weekend, and after last year’s panel that culminated in the reveal of the Russos coming back for two Avengers movies, as well as Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, that would’ve been a hard to follow no matter what.
So that’s the case here. There’s just one movie in production, which was already delayed to give the filmmakers more time, so taking a week off to promote a movie 18 months away without footage certainly seems excessive. Especially when it could come back next year with footage, cast members, and maybe even news about what the future holds, too.
That’s not to say Marvel won’t be at Comic-Con at all in 2025. Other branches of the company will have panels for comics, games, and more—and with The Fantastic Four: First Steps opening in theaters during Comic-Con, there will be a large presence on the convention floor, including an immersive booth. Marvel is also promising “other surprises,” which could mean almost anything. Don’t forget, last year, Deadpool & Wolverine opened during Comic-Con so the studio showed the movie in Hall H. Maybe that could happen again?
Plus, fans looking for Marvel convention news won’t have to wait long. It’ll be at CCXP in Mexico this weekend with news and footage on Fantastic Four.
Are you bummed Marvel won’t be at Hall H this year? Do you expect to DC to fill that slot? Let us know below.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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