Pre-Comic-Con 2012 buzz has been steadily building for nearly a month now, with a number of high profile panels and events announced for this year’s show. Unlike previous years, Comic-Con 2012 may be the first time that TV show offerings overshadow their movie counterparts. While the schedule is still being finalized, and further announcements are sure to be en route, there is a marked drop in the amount of blockbuster film panels at this year’s show; however, that isn’t stopping Disney, and subsidiary Marvel Studios, from making a Hall H panel appearance – with Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 set to headline the event.
Could the mega-popular studio, hot off the phenomenal success of The Avengers (now number three in all-time box office ticket sales), also reveal a few of their Marvel Cinematic Universe “Phase 2” plans? Such as Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man or the long-rumored Black Panther movie?
If you’re attending Comic-Con this year (or intend to keep a close eye on Screen Rant for live blog coverage), here’s a breakdown of where you need to be (and what to expect) from both the Disney and Marvel Studios panels:
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures will be hosting our Hall H Comic-Con panel on Thursday, July 12 from 2:05pm – 3:05pm.
Q&A panel featuring the imaginative director of Frankenweenie Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland); A special look at the world of Oz The Great and Powerful with director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man trilogy); the illustrious voice cast of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Wreck-It Ralph, including John C. Reilly (Step Brothers), Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program) and director Rich Moore (The Simpsons).
- Marvel Studios will be hosting its Hall H Comic-Con panel on Saturday, July 14 from 6:00pm – 7:00pm.
Marvel Studios presents Iron Man 3. Join Producer Kevin Feige and special guests as they provide an inside look at the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.
While plenty of readers are, no doubt, interested in Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie and Sam Raimi’s Oz The Great and Powerful, Iron Man 3 is certainly going to be the biggest draw of the two panels – and could be the most highly anticipated presentation at the 2012 Con. At the time of the panel, the film will have only been shooting for just over a month – meaning that it’s unlikely fans will be privy to much (if any) new footage.
As a result, it’s extremely likely that a sizable portion of the panel will actually be dedicated to the future Marvel Studios slate – hinted at by the line “provide an inside look at the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.” Details are slim at this point and the studio may be waiting to firm up scheduling, or even casting (i.e. 2010’s eleventh hour Mark Ruffalo grab), before they can provide more information on which “special guests” will make an appearance.
The most likely “guest” spot could go to Edgar Wright, who teased his Ant-Man movie at Comic-Con 2011 and recently confirmed that he’s going to try and shoot a portion of the project this year:
“So as not to jinx things, I am going to remain spectacularly vague on this. Let’s just say I hope to shoot some Ant-Man & World’s End this year.”
Another possible reveal, could come in the form of an official confirmation of the long-rumored Black Panther adaptation as well as a yet-to-be confirmed director (and, if Marvel really wants to bring the house down, a casting announcement). That said, compared to Ant-Man, the film is a little less concrete at this point as it was recently the subject of conflicting reports from “trusted sources” who first claimed Black Panther was en route – only to be denied by a different “insider” later in the day.
It’s certainly possible that fans will also be treated to new information on a number of franchise sequels, Thor 2, Captain America 2, and even The Avengers 2 (though don’t expect any major reveals) but, in terms of new properties a Guardians of the Galaxy announcement is also a possibility. Marvel recently secured a number of trademarks for Guardians of the Galaxy – leading to speculation that a film announcement might be inbound.
We’ll keep you up to date as we hear more official (and rumored) details for both the Disney and Marvel Studios panels but, if you’re curious about the future of the Marvel (and DC for that Matter) Cinematic Universe – check out our Fall 2012 TV Sneak Peek episode of the Screen Rant Underground podcast – where we spent over forty-five minutes talking about these upcoming superhero film properties.
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Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick for more Comic-Con coverage as well as future movie, TV, and gaming news.
