With the Writers Strike thwarting one Marvel production after another of late, Marvel Studios has decided to skip its usual Hall H presentation at Comic-Con this year.
Marvel has been forced to shut down multiple productions, including its Thunderbolts movie and a pair of high-profile series — Daredevil: Born Again and Wonder Man. The studio was also forced to delay its Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali, as the script wasn’t quite in shooting shape just yet.
Another factor is the potential SAG-AFTRA strike, which would likely prevent Marvel stars from making the promotional pilgrimage to San Diego as part of the labor stoppage. The union’s contract with the AMPTP expires on June 30, and Comic-Con is set to take place the weekend of July 21. SAG-AFTRA has already voted to authorize a strike, though that doesn’t mean the union will automatically begin striking on July 1, as it could continue negotiating with the major studios if they feel that progress is being made.
Last year, Marvel blew the lid off Comic-Con by showcasing projects from three phases of the MCU, including Phase 6, which will begin with Fantastic Four in May 2025, and feature a pair of Avengers movies — The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars.
Expect Marvel to pull out all the stops when it returns to Hall H in 2024. The company will still have a presence on the convention floor this year.
TheWrap broke the news about Marvel, additionally reporting that HBO and Universal are also expected to sit out Comic-Con this year. I’m not sure why HBO would go without footage to show from Season 2 of House of the Dragon, and it seems like early days on that front.
