Unfortunately, rumors that Marvel Studios will not be holding its usual Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con this year have now been confirmed.
This won't be the first time the studio has decided to skip Hall H - which is typically reserved for the biggest announcements relating to future projects and exclusive first-looks at upcoming movies and shows - but with two massive MCU event films on the horizon in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars (not to mention the long-awaited X-Men reboot), this is sure to come as disappointing news.
Even so, it sounds like fans should still have plenty to be excited about.
According to THR, "Marvel will still have a major presence at this year’s SDCC, with numerous panels about comics, games and more. And sources tell Heat Vision that it will a massive footprint in the San Diego Convention Center, with a fully redesigned and immersive booth that leans into the release of Fantastic Four. And there could be some surprises in store, as well."
With The Fantastic Four: First Steps opening on the Friday of SDCC, Marvel has decided to make the MCU reboot its main focus at the Con. We might get some Avengers: Doomsday news, but with the still-shooting movie recently pushed to December 2026, the thinking within the studio is that "it didn’t feel like the right timing for a Hall H panel."
THR has also weighed-in on the much-discussed First Steps test-screening that was held on Wednesday at the Regal Long Beach, with Kevin Feige and director Matt Shakman in attendance. The trade declined to comment on the reactions that have been doing the rounds online, simply noting: "Suffice to say, the movie is eight weeks away (that’s two months, an eternity in today’s moviemaking world), and it’s still being worked on."
The FF reboot has been described as "good, not great," with a few "mids" thrown in for good measure (see MTTSH's post below). We have heard a few things ourselves, but the feedback was slightly more positive.
From what we can gather - and keep in mind this is just one person's opinion - First Steps is a "pretty good" MCU movie with some terrific elements, but it probably won't be viewed as the "saviour of the MCU" some are hoping for." We were also told that some of the humor fails to land (a frequent complaint with these films), and that while the "wholesome" tone works overall, it does sometimes come across a little "hokey."
We'll get to see the movie for ourselves when Marvel's First Family make their MCU debut on July 25.