Written by Marvel’s Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 only greenlit two new movies: Black Panther 3 and Ghost Rider. Everything else Marvel has in the pipeline beyond Avengers: Doomsday was already announced before the panel, and most of it got no mention at all in that room.
The result is a strange picture. Marvel has four undated slots booked across 2028 and a handful of projects that have been in development for years without moving. Some of these films are locked in. Others are technically alive but look shakier than ever. Here’s where each one actually stands.
1. Black Panther 3
Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa in Black Panther | Credits: Marvel Studios
Marvel saved Wakanda for last at the SDCC. Ryan Coogler came out to confirm he’s directing a third Black Panther film, with Letitia Wright and Winston Duke joining him on stage. The movie is simply titled Black Panther 3, and it arrives in theatres on December 15, 2028.
Just announced in Hall H: Ryan Coogler returns to Marvel Studios to direct Black Panther 3, only in theaters December 15, 2028. #SDCC pic.twitter.com/j8XZoLd4s2— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 26, 2026
That’s a long wait, and it means a six-year gap since Wakanda Forever. Denzel Washington is playing a major role in it, which the actor accidentally revealed some time back. It is also the first Black Panther movie since 2018 to actually have a Black Panther leading it. David Jonsson, known for Alien: Romulus and The Long Walk, is the MCU’s new Black Panther.
Jonsson plays T’Challa’s son, also named T’Challa, and Coogler described the film as a coming-of-age story about the character growing into the role. That framing suggests something noticeably different in tone from the first two entries. Jonsson walked out to a standing ovation and kept his remarks short, thanking Coogler and Feige before saying he would rather let the screen do the talking.
2. Ghost Rider
Marvel opened its 2026 SDCC panel with the announcement of a new Ghost Rider movie, and it broke Hall H. Kevin Feige invited MCU’s new Ghost Rider onto the stage, and Ryan Gosling walked out to the sound of a revving motorcycle.
Gosling arrived on stage excited and shared, “Wow, is this really happening? Okay… uh… as you know, this is a character I’ve wanted to play for a very long time.” Gosling is believed to be playing Johnny Blaze. And it was Gosling who introduced the director of the movie.
The Ghost Rider logo has been revealed at #SDCC, alongside the reveal that Shawn Levy is directing, and it’s coming in 2028 pic.twitter.com/L73OqdX51P— IGN (@IGN) July 26, 2026
He said there was only one director who could do it, then named Shawn Levy, who directed Deadpool & Wolverine and is currently finishing Star Wars: Starfighter with Gosling. Levy told the crowd the two started riffing on the character during that shoot until he finally told Gosling to just go for it. Marvel unveiled a logo but showed no footage. Ghost Rider hits theatres in 2028.
3. Avengers: Secret Wars
Avengers: Secret Wars | Credits: Marvel Studios
Avengers: Secret Wars is fully confirmed for December 17, 2027, with the Russo brothers directing. It’s the biggest movie Marvel has on its books, and it got almost nothing at SDCC. There are a few likely reasons. Doomsday isn’t out yet, and almost anything about Secret Wars is a spoiler for it.
Feige also told the crowd early on that this panel was about the movies right in front of fans. Feige has confirmed two things elsewhere, though. Secret Wars won’t be split into two parts, and he doesn’t see it as a reboot. He’s pointed to Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 comic run as the rough roadmap for the movie.
4. X-Men
A still from X-Men ’97 animated series | Credits: Disney+
The SDCC panel also lacked significant updates on the X-Men reboot movie and any major casting news about the movie. Just days before the panel, Kevin Feige told Chinese press that the X-Men would sit at the center of the post-Secret Wars MCU.
Jake Schreier, who directed Thunderbolts*, is helming the film. Lee Sung Jin and Joanna Calo, the Beef and The Bear duo, are writing, working from an earlier draft by Michael Lesslie. The movie is targeting 2028, though Marvel still hasn’t locked a date.
The cast list is currently empty. Zero names have been officially announced, despite months of rumours linking Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer, Odessa A’Zion, and Harris Dickinson to various mutants. Feige has confirmed Marvel approached Adam Driver, who passed.
Disney’s D23 convention is only weeks away, giving Marvel another huge stage and a better moment, when Sadie Sink’s rumored role will already be revealed in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. She is long rumored to play Jean Grey.
5. Nova
Marvel superhero Nova | Credits: Marvel Comics
Nova is the shakiest entry here, and there’s a catch. It may not be a movie at all. Marvel has been developing a Richard Rider project since around 2020, with Moon Knight writer Sabir Pirzada attached since 2022. It was billed as a TV show all the while.
However, in July 2026, Doomsday co-writer Michael Waldron’s WGA listing appeared to include Nova, though neither Marvel nor Waldron has confirmed it (via Deadline). It meant that Nova could be a feature length movie. However, there was no Nova mention at SDCC.
6. Shang-Chi 2
Simu Liu as Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Credits: Marvel Studios
Marvel announced Shang-Chi 2 in December 2021, weeks after the first film pulled in $432 million during a rough pandemic box office. Destin Daniel Cretton was set to write and direct, with Simu Liu and Awkwafina returning.
Then it went quiet for years. The main reason is Cretton himself. He stepped away from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to focus on Shang-Chi 2 and Wonder Man. But then he took over Spider-Man: Brand New Day after Jon Watts exited. Liu has repeatedly promised it’s happening while admitting he’s as frustrated as fans. But there’s still no date, and no SDCC mention for a third straight year.
7. Armor Wars
MCU’s Armor Wars | Credits: Marvel Studios
Armor Wars has had the roughest ride of the lot. Marvel announced it in December 2020 as a six-episode Disney+ series with Don Cheadle’s Rhodey leading, then upgraded it to a theatrical movie in September 2022. It was meant to pick up after Secret Invasion.
Since then, almost nothing. Reports suggest it’s on hold rather than cancelled, being reworked after the poor reception to Secret Invasion. It has never received an official release date, and it wasn’t mentioned at SDCC. Some outlets now list it as possibly scrapped.
Besides these movies, a Blade movie is still officially in the works. But Feige may have effectively closed the door in July 2026, telling the Happy Sad Confused podcast he feels like a total failure for never getting it made with Ali. He explained the script never hit the “insanely great” bar Marvel now demands. Notably, he spoke about Ali’s involvement in the past tense.
What do you think of these movies? Let us know in the comments below!
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