Marvel Studios is returning to San Diego Comic-Con with a bang, bringing with them their new animation division.
The official San Diego Comic-Con website confirmed that Marvel Studios have a 90-minute panel scheduled for Friday, July 22 — beginning at 11:45 am in Ballroom 20.
Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios' head of streaming, television, and animation, will be in attendance along with head of visual development Ryan Meinerding. Special guests, who have yet to be announced, will also feature as the panel will explore all things animation.
The most exciting news from this announcement, however, is the confirmation that we will be getting exclusive first looks at three upcoming animated Marvel shows: What If...? season 2, X-Men '97, and Marvel Zombies.
What If...? had a successful first season with nine episodes exploring various alternate realities within the MCU, including a Star-Lord T'Challa, Captain Carter, Doctor Strange Supreme, and ultimate Ultron.
The second season will continue to explore alternate versions of MCU characters and will also feature characters from phase 4 MCU projects, which include Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
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One episode in the first season — What If... Zombies?! — explored a universe where a virus of the Quantum Realm infected Earth, causing a majority of superheroes to turn into zombies.
In November 2021, it was announced that a spinoff show titled Marvel Zombies was in development based on that episode. What If...? director Bryan Andrews is returning and Marvel Comics writer Zeb Wells coming on board as head writer. The show takes place in the same reality featured in the What If...? episode and will focus on a new generation of superheroes battling the undead.
Meanwhile, X-Men '97 is a revival of the original X-Men animated show that ran from 1992 to 1997. Set to premiere in 2023, the show will continue the plot of the original series with many of the original cast members reprising their roles. Intriguingly, however, the show is not set within the MCU itself but will be separate.
So, the X-Men are still not officially in the MCU just yet, although Patrick Stewart's Professor Charles Xavier did appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios will also be back at San Diego Comic-Con for the first time in three years. The last time they were there, Feige laid out the road map for Phase 4. With that phase now coming to an end, fans should expect some sort of overview for Phase 5. However, nothing else has been confirmed for this event.
What If...? season one is available on Disney+.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Jacob is a freelance writer who specialises in narrative TV and film.
He graduated from the University of Roehampton with an MA in Journalism and has written for several publications since, including Gold Derby, Insider, and Screen Daily.
Jacob has covered major events in the world of film and TV, including numerous BAFTA ceremonies and the Cannes Film Festival, while he's also been an awards expert for several publications, including Korea's Arirang. His particular areas of interest include Star Wars, the MCU, the Oscars, and Hugh Grant.
