Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine didn’t just break records over its opening weekend, it crushed them. Opening with $205 million domestically and $438 million globally, the critically acclaimed action comedy took over the top spot for the highest-grossing R-rated film opening in box office history. It also set a new record for the highest July opening weekend, and moved into second place on the list of third installment opening weekends. (Avengers: Endgame holds the record.)
“I know people are expecting the funny; they’re going to get it. They’re expecting the action; they’re going to get it,” said writer, producer, and director Shawn Levy. “But the movie has a warmth as a result of the story we tell between these two guys where this unlikely friendship is built. That’s the piece I think people aren’t expecting.”
Marvel Studios also hosted San Diego Comic-Con’s biggest panel. The packed Hall H audience was the first to learn of Robert Downey Jr’s casting as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, to be directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. The Russos are also directing Avengers: Secret Wars, with Doomsday targeting a May 2026 release and Secret Wars opening in May 2027.
“Being able to create stories and explore characters within the Marvel Universe fulfilled a life-long dream of ours, and we discovered a powerful connection with audiences in each film that we made. We’re thrilled to collaborate once again with Kevin, Lou and the entire Marvel team to bring this epic adventure in storytelling to new and surprising places for both the fans and ourselves,” said The Russo Brothers.
SDCC attendees were also the first to see the Fantastic Four – Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/Thing) – together on stage. The first film of the revamped franchise is now officially titled Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Marvel Studios Hall H Recap, Courtesy of Marvel:
Deadpool & Wolverine – The Hall H showcase kicked off with a celebration of Deadpool & Wolverine, in theaters now. A full choral performance of “Like a Prayer” welcomed the excited crowd with dancing Deadpool variants, which ended when Marvel Studios producer and president Kevin Feige looked for Peterpool amongst the variants, calling Rob Delaney, who stars in the film as Peter, to the stage. Delaney joined Feige as the showcase’s MC, mentioning the surprise Deadpool & Wolverine screening for con-goers Thursday, and the massive drone and fireworks show over San Diego’s Petco Park that followed.
Captain America: Brave New World – With Sam Wilson about to make his big screen debut as Captain America in Captain America: Brave New World, Delaney welcomed to the stage Cap himself, Anthony Mackie. Joining them were Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez, and Giancarlo Esposito, who confirmed he is playing Sidewinder. Together, they revealed exclusive footage, and much to the crowd’s excitement, invited Harrison Ford to take the stage. Ford makes his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as President Thaddeus Ross. The story follows Sam Wilson, who after meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, finds himself in the middle of an international incident. Sam must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
Thunderbolts – Highlighting Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts, Delaney welcomed director Jake Schreier to the stage alongside stars Geraldine Viswanathan, Lewis Pullman, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour. The latter showed up in full Red Guardian garb, earning laughs and applause from the crowd, which was treated to a scene from the movie. Marvel Studios, and a crew of indie veterans, who definitely sold out, present Thunderbolts, an irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Feige returned to the stage to share details of the upcoming The Fantastic Four, which kicks off production Tuesday. Joining Feige on stage was director Matt Shakman and Marvel’s first family together on stage for the first time, Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/Thing). They all shared some cosmic details about the upcoming feature film that sees Galactus and Silver Surfer target Earth for destruction—and revealed the movie’s full title: The Fantastic Four: First Steps. But then Hall H was overtaken by none other than the Fantasticar soaring over the crowd, drawing massive cheers as the screens were taken over by a retro-futurist vision of New York City.
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