Actors Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige pose for a photo at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles on April 23 2019. (Mario Anzuoni, Reuters)
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SAN DIEGO – Two new “Avengers” movies will hit theaters in 2025, Walt Disney’s Marvel Studios announced Saturday in a presentation to fans that highlights parts of its upcoming slate of superhero TV shows and movies .
“Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” will close out the sixth phase of the blockbuster Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said from the stage at the annual pop culture convention from Comic-Con in San Diego.
Phases four through six will be known as the Multiverse Saga, he said.
The announcements drew loud applause and cheers from a crowd of more than 6,000 people in a packed convention hall, though Feige provided few details. “Avengers: Endgame,” released in 2019, is the second-highest-grossing film of all time, and Marvel Cinematic Universe films have generated more than $25 billion in global box office sales.
Feige also revealed plans for an 18-episode TV series called “Daredevil: Born Again,” which will air on Disney+ in spring 2024, and a “Thunderbolts” movie slated for July 2024.
The studio highlighted some of the short-term movies in Marvel’s fifth phase, including the debut next February of the third “Ant-Man and The Wasp” movie, subtitled “Quantumania.”
“We finally get to spend some time in the quantum realm,” which “isn’t always what you think it is,” said director Peyton Reed.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” will delve into the backstories of the film’s strange characters, including the gun-toting raccoon named Rocket, who director James Gunn described as “the saddest creature in the universe” .
Marvel ended the presentation with a look at “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” a sequel to the 2018 blockbuster starring Chadwick Boseman, who died of cancer two years later.
“It feels monumental to be back in Wakanda,” said Lupita Nyong’o, who reprises her role as the warrior Nakia in the sequel, which hits theaters in November.
Director Ryan Coogler recalled seeing scenes from the first “Black Panther” with Boseman at a previous Comic-Con and the actor grabbing his shoulder with excitement.
“I promise you, I can feel his hand on me right now,” Coogler said. “His spirit, his passion, his genius, his pride in his culture and the impact he had on his industry will be felt forever.”
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