Every Major Announcement from Marvel Studios' 2026 San Diego Comic-Con Hall H Panel

Marvel Studios returned to San Diego Comic-Con's Hall H on Saturday, July 25, 2026, for a tightly packed hour of reveals. After skipping 2025, the studio brought a slate of casting confirmations, exclusive footage, and a surprise theatrical re-release — but notably kept its long-term roadmap under wraps.

Ryan Gosling Officially Cast as Ghost Rider

The biggest star-powered announcement of the night: Ryan Gosling will play Johnny Blaze / Ghost Rider in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, reuniting with Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy. The standalone film is scheduled for a 2028 release . Gosling appeared on stage with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and told the 7,000-seat Hall H audience that he had long wanted to portray the character . The film's first official logo was also revealed .

Gosling's casting had been rumored for months, with insider reports surfacing hours before the panel , but the Hall H appearance marked the first official confirmation from Marvel.

David Jonsson Introduced as the New Black Panther

Industry and The Long Walk star David Jonsson was introduced as the new Black Panther — playing the son of the late T'Challa — in Black Panther III, also targeting a 2028 release (December 15, 2028) . Director Ryan Coogler and actor Letitia Wright will return for the sequel .

The character is described as T'Challa's son, continuing the Wakandan legacy . The casting resolves months of speculation around how Marvel would address the Black Panther mantle following Chadwick Boseman's passing and the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Exclusive Avengers: Doomsday Footage Revealed

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo brought nearly two dozen cast members on stage to introduce exclusive new footage from Avengers: Doomsday . While the footage was not released publicly, reports describe it as including major character teases and extensive action sequences. The Russo brothers confirmed the film has been shot but indicated they would be open to additional photography .

Ryan Reynolds / Deadpool variant cameo: Before the Doomsday footage rolled, a person who sounded like Ryan Reynolds made a surprise appearance on stage wearing a gray, denim-like Deadpool costume and joked about wanting to be in the movie . Multiple outlets interpreted this as confirmation that Deadpool will appear in Doomsday .

Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter confirmed: Atwell's return as Peggy Carter was confirmed as part of the Doomsday lineup, with the character appearing in the new footage .

Robert Downey Jr. did not appear: Despite fan speculation, Downey Jr. was not present at the 2026 panel. His major Hall H reveal as Doctor Doom occurred at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, where he unmasked on stage with the line "New mask, same task" .

Avengers: Endgame Encore — Theatrical Re-Release

Marvel announced that Avengers: Endgame will return to theaters as Avengers: Endgame Encore on September 25, 2026. The re-release will include a custom introduction, additional new footage, and a unique end tag that bridges directly into Avengers: Doomsday . The film will be presented in "Infinity Vision," a new premium large-format certification .

Avengers: Doomsday Release Date Confirmed

Avengers: Doomsday remains confirmed for December 18, 2026, going head-to-head with Warner Bros.' Dune: Part Three on the same date .

Notable Absences

CNET described the panel as notably lean . Several expected announcements did not materialize:

• No X-Men updates — Despite the X-Men being referenced in earlier Doomsday footage shown at CinemaCon (including Patrick Stewart's Professor Xavier), no standalone X-Men project or casting was announced at the 2026 Hall H panel .
• No Secret Wars roadmap — There was no slate chart outlining Avengers: Secret Wars, Phase 6, or Phase 7 .
• No Disney+ series announcements — The panel was entirely film-focused; no new streaming series were revealed .