In a move that’s bound to disappoint thousands of Comic-Con 2015 attendees – who wait outside Hall H for hours just to get a glimpse of Marvel Studios’ upcoming movies – the world’s most popular studio has decided to sit this year out. Deadline reports that there’s no grand conspiracy at work, and that with Captain America: Civil War still in production and Ant-Man already coming out one week later, on July 17, Marvel Studios just doesn’t have anything new to show off to the fans.
The news confirms James Gunn’s earlier statement in March, which told us the exact same thing, but fans remained hopeful that Marvel’s plans could change before Comic-Con 2015’s schedule was set. It’s still a possibility that Marvel Studios could do something, like host an early screening of Ant-Man for example, but it’s equally likely that they’ll let this year go entirely and present something new at the D23 convention held between August 14-16 in Anaheim.
Related: Fox Sets TV Panel Lineup for Comic-Con 2015
D23 is a Disney-exclusive convention, meaning that Marvel wouldn’t have to share the spotlight with any of its competitors, and that may be a smart business move because Deadline also confirms that Warner Bros. will be at Comic-Con 2015 in full force, with a panel that seems likely to include new footage from Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, and possibly appearances from their superhero franchise stars.
While we know that the many Comic-Con attendees who buy their tickets months in advance had their hearts set on yet another mighty Marvel presentation, since the studio tends to pull out all the stops and make the wait worth it, we hope that they consider the possibility that this may be for the best. After all, what’s worse: no Marvel Studios at all, or a Marvel Studios panel you waited in line all day (and maybe even all night) to see that disappoints the hell out of you?
Never fear though, fans: Marvel Studios may be absent, but CraveOnline will be back at Comic-Con 2015 this year bringing you exclusive interviews, videos, news and more. Excelsior!
William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel and the host of The B-Movies Podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
