Marvel brought the biggest casting news to San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, but the day was not limited to superhero movies. Star Trek, Futurama, and DC also gave fans new footage and firm release dates. Here is the short catch-up with the details most people will want before the next round of announcements.
Ryan Gosling Is Marvel's Ghost Rider
Marvel Studios confirmed that Ryan Gosling will play Ghost Rider in a movie directed by Shawn Levy. The character is usually Johnny Blaze, a stunt rider who becomes a supernatural hero with a flaming skull and a motorcycle, but Marvel has not confirmed which version Gosling is playing.
The movie is planned for 2028. Gosling has mentioned Ghost Rider as a role he wanted in the past, so the casting did not come from nowhere. Marvel did not reveal the rest of the cast, a full story, or a specific release date during the panel.
David Jonsson Is T'Challa II, Not a Recast
David Jonsson will lead Black Panther III as T'Challa II. He is playing the son of T'Challa and Nakia, the child introduced at the end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Jonsson is not replacing Chadwick Boseman as the original T'Challa.
Black Panther III is scheduled for December 15, 2028, with Ryan Coogler returning to direct. Marvel has not explained how the story moves from Shuri's time as Black Panther to the younger T'Challa taking the title.
Avengers: Endgame Is Returning Before Doomsday
Avengers: Endgame returns to theaters on September 25 with new footage that connects it to Avengers: Doomsday. The new movie opens on December 18 and brings Robert Downey Jr. back to Marvel as Doctor Doom rather than Tony Stark.
The Doomsday footage shown in Hall H included Reed Richards and Sue Storm with their son Franklin, while Doom appeared to have a personal connection to the family. Marvel also showed a gray Deadpool costume, but the footage has not been released publicly.
The Associated Press recap of Marvel's panel has the full list of movie dates and casting announcements.
Star Trek and Futurama Have New Seasons
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returned to Comic-Con as Paramount celebrated the franchise's 60th anniversary. Season 4 began streaming on Paramount+ on July 23, with new episodes arriving every Thursday through September 24. The series continues to follow Captain Pike and the Enterprise crew before the events of the original Star Trek.
Futurama Season 14 premieres August 3 on Hulu in the United States and Disney+ internationally, with new episodes every Monday. Hulu also announced three longer episodes for 2027, including a Christmas story. The regular season is arriving first, so fans will not need to wait until next year for new episodes.
Paramount posted the official Strange New Worlds Season 4 schedule, while Hulu's Futurama page confirms the August premiere.
Lanterns Finally Has a Full Trailer
DC released the official trailer for Lanterns, its live-action series about Green Lanterns John Stewart and Hal Jordan. Aaron Pierre plays John, a new Lantern learning the job, while Kyle Chandler plays the more experienced Hal. Their investigation begins with a murder in the American heartland and expands into a much larger threat.
Lanterns premieres August 16 on HBO Max. The new trailer gives viewers a clearer look at the Green Lantern powers, Sinestro, and the Manhunters, but the series still presents the main story as a crime investigation rather than a constant space battle.
Warner Bros. Discovery has the official Lanterns trailer details.
Ryan Gosling as Ghost Rider was the loudest surprise, while David Jonsson's Black Panther casting changes the future of Wakanda. Which announcement are you most interested in seeing first?
