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It turns out that sort of out-of-place Natalie Portman cameo in Avengers: Endgame was a little more important than anyone could have guessed. The actor, who hasn’t played a major role in any MCU movie since 2013’s Thor: The Dark World, will be making a return to the MCU to reprise her role as Jane Foster in Thor: Love And Thunder–with one major caveat: she’ll be wielding Mjolnir.

Director Taika Waititi took the stage at San Diego Comic-Con during the massive Marvel Studios panel to surprise fans. Moderator Jessica Chobot prompted Waititi with a question about what comic book storylines had inspired him, which Waititi was quick to answer. “When we were shooting Ragnarok, I was reading Jason Aaron’s Mighty Thor, and it introduces female Thor [Jane Foster]. So, there’s only one person who can do that.”

Natalie Portman herself then took the stage to massive applause, before being handed her own replica Mjolnir to really drive Jane’s new MCU status quo home.

“This feels pretty good,” Portman laughed, “I’ve always had a little hammer envy.”

Jane’s turn as Thor came after Thor Odinson was rendered unworthy by a cosmically aware Nick Fury (don’t ask), who confirmed that a villain named Gor the God Butcher, who believed all gods in the universe were fundamentally horrible and wrong, was “right.” By whispering that simple phrase: “Gor was right,” Thor found himself experiencing such a crisis of confidence that he could no longer lift Mjolnir.

Thankfully, Mjolnir’s powers have some strings attached, if you remember its inscription–“Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” During Thor’s crisis, Jane, who had actually been battling fatal cancer, was able to lift the hammer and become imbued with the powers. As a deity, Jane’s cancer was also “cured,” but only while she was in her Thor form, creating a dangerous catch-22 when she would revert back to her mortal self.

It’s unclear what the set up for Jane’s transformation in the MCU will actually be, since as far as we know she has been in perfect health, but with Doctor Strange 2‘s introduction of the multiverse, it seems like anything and everything is possible.

Thor: Love And Thunder will hit theaters on November 5, 2021.

Marvel’s big San Diego Comic-Con panel outlined lots of new plans for Phase 4, but a few notable omissions raised eyebrows. Specifically the panel didn’t make any major announcements surrounding Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Black Panther 2, or Captain Marvel 2.

But fear not, true-believers; all of them are still on the way. MCU boss Kevin Feige offhandedly joked near the end of the panel that they just didn’t have time to fit all their plans in, alongside a brief mention of the X-Men and Fantastic Four. None of those got a spotlight at this particular event, which largely focused on new franchises and surprise announcements.

The panel announced the Black Widow and Eternals movies in 2020, followed by Shang-Chi, Dr. Strange 2, and Thor 4 featuring Natalie Portman reprising her role as Jane Foster, who in this movie will become the Goddess of Thunder. The panel’s big surprise came at the very end, with the announcement of Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali as the title character in a new Blade movie.

All of these announcements came alongside more details for the MCU TV series that will be offered through the Disney+ service. Falcon and Winter Soldier will premiere in fall 2020, and then WandaVision and Loki in spring 2021. A “What If?” animated series is coming in summer 2021, and then a Hawkeye series in the fall.

It’s not clear if Guardians 3, Black Panther 2, or Captain Marvel 2 could fit around these plans, or if those films have been pushed into Phase 5.

It was an absolutely jam-packed Marvel Studios Hall H panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con including first looks at the recently confirmed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings, Thor 4, titled Thor: Love And Thunder, Black Widow, The Eternals, as well as Disney+ TV shows like Loki and Falcon and Winter Soldier. At the end, it felt as if there was no more news left in the Marvel Universe for fans to get.

But nothing in the MCU is ever what it seems. As the panel wrapped up for the evening, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige dropped a handful of playful teases that serve as confirmation for something fans have been clamoring about for years: the inclusion of not only the Fantastic Four, but “mutants” (you know, like the X-Men) in the MCU.

“We talked about so much tonight, it’s a shame we didn’t have time to talk about Black Panther 2, about Captain Marvel 2, about Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 […]” Feige joked, “We didn’t have time to talk about the Fantastic Four, or about the mutants.”

The recent Disney/Fox merger has made both additions to the shared universe possible, meaning that the confirmation isn’t exactly unexpected–but it is certainly more than welcome.

With D23, Disney’s own pop culture convention, just around the corner on August 23 through the 25th in Anaheim, California, we can certainly expect to hear more very, very soon.

Marvel outlined its upcoming plans for its the MCU Phase 4 during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, and it includes a way to slightly ret-con one of its most divisive villain choices. The company announced that the Mandarin is going to be represented as a villainous threat closer to his comic inspirations–and it’s even working the twisty Iron Man 3 plot in.

Essentially, Iron Man 3 established the Mandarin as a cover for the film’s real threat, the industrialist Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce). Killian had been manufacturing a terrorist threat via a bumbling actor pretending to be the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). It was a clever take, but some fans voiced disappointment over a classic character being treated as a punchline. The next phase of the MCU will address that head-on.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings will bring on actor Tony Leung as the iconic villain. The ten rings is a reference to both a major part of the Mandarin’s character, and to references already made in the MCU.

“The 10 rings have been in the MCU from the very beginning,” Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige said during the panel. “There is a real Mandarin, and he was quite upset with the imposter in Iron Man 3.”

Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton added that now that he’s been given a peek behind the curtain, “incredible things have been thought out from the very beginning.” That suggests that the plot beats will at least feel like a natural fit with the rest of the MCU.

Shang-Chi is scheduled to hit theaters on February 12, 2021. It follows a kung fu master, and is the first film to feature an Asian lead in the MCU. For more on the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, be sure to check out all the Phase 4 plans revealed during the SDCC panel.

We just got a big bang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. During its panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Marvel Studios laid out several new movies coming in Phase 4, starting with Black Widow on May 1, 2020, and including several other movies and TV series to build fan’s hype.

Panel-goers got a close look at Black Widow, the first standalone film for the Avengers character played by Scarlett Johansson. That movie is a prequel, filling in the backstory of the former Agent of SHIELD and Russian spy. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige filled fans in on the movie’s cast, and there was even a trailer that ran during the panel. Fans also heard about other movies coming in 2020, including The Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and new information about previously announced series Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki.

We’ve got all the big announcements below to bring you up to speed instantly. You should also check out our Comic-Con hub for a rundown of all the news to come out of this year’s convention, including from Marvel, and beyond.

Release Schedule

Here’s everything that’s coming in 2020 and 2021 in the MCU, including movies and series, and when you can expect to see them.

Black Widow

The Avenger’s standalone film is a prequel that digs into her pre-SHIELD Agent past, and Marvel finally revealed when it’ll hit theaters.

Eternals

Marvel Studios boss confirmed Eternals is really, truly coming in Phase Four, and it’ll be “full Jack Kirby.”

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings

Marvel is digging up elements it introduced in the Iron Man movies, including terrorist organization Ten Rings and the Mandarin, the “real” version of the supervillain.

Doctor Strange 2: Madness In The Multiverse

Doctor Strange is coming back, with the MCU multiverse opening up a whole lot more mystical stuff for him to deal with.

Thor: Love And Thunder

Marvel revealed the title of Thor 4, which is helmed by Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi and will see the return of Natalie Portman’s character, Jane Foster.

Blade

Yup, Blade is happening–and it’ll star Mahershala Ali as the half-vampire superhero.

Falcon And The Winter Soldier

Here’s what’s going on when Captain America’s best friends team up in the upcoming Disney+ show.

WandaVision

Wanda and Vision are bringing some romance to the MCU with their Disney+ series.

Loki

Marvel explained a little about the mischief and mayhem Loki is liable to get up to, now that he’s free in the universe post-Endgame.

What If…?

Marvel is exploiting the multiverse with What If…?, an animated series that sees heroes and villains thrown into strange situations.

Hawkeye

We finally learned a bit about the upcoming series starring the sharpshooting Avenger.

Fantastic Four and X-Men

Marvel also hinted that the Fantastic Four and mutants would make their way into the MCU, thanks to Disney’s purchase of Fox’s movie wing.

As if the avalanche of MCU Phase Four films and Disney+ show news from Marvel Studios’ San Diego Comic Con panel wasn’t enough already, the world’s biggest purveyor of superhero film and TV fare decided to save one of the their biggest announcements for last: Blade, the half vampire-half human last seen being portrayed by Wesley Snipes, is being rebooted for the big screen.

And while Wesley Snipes was amazing in the three Blade films already made in the early 2000s, the new Blade has serious acting chops: two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali will be our new vampire hunter.

DEVELOPING

The Thor movies have become one of the most beloved parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, thanks in large part to the Taika Waititi-directed Thor: Ragnarok, which injected the series with some much-needed quirk and humor, while still capturing the essence of the god of thunder. The series seems perched to continue in that vein, judging by the new details revealed at Marvel’s San Diego Comic-Con 2019 panel.

During the Marvel panel, the studio confirmed Thor 4’s full, official title: Thor: Love and Thunder. Disney also confirmed Thor: Love and Thunder’s release date: November 5, 2021. And lastly, the panel confirmed that Natalie Portman’s character Jane Foster, last seen in any significant capacity in Thor: The Dark World, will return in this movie.

During the SDCC 2019 panel, Thor 4 director Taika Waititi took the stage with stars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, who will both return to their respective roles as Thor and Valkyrie in the upcoming film.

“There’s nothing more powerful in the world than love and thunder,” Waititi said, giving the newly revealed title a little bit of context.

In addition, the panel’s big surprise came when Natalie Portman arrived onstage, taking hold of the hammer Mjolnir as she emerged.

“This feels pretty good,” the actress laughed. “I’ve always had a little hammer envy.”

During the panel, Waititi specifically brought up Jason Aaron’s “Jane Thor” run of the comics, in which the character Jane Foster took up the mantle of the god of thunder–giving Portman fans something to look forward to in Love and Thunder.

“When we were shooting Ragnarok, I was reading Jason Aaron’s Mighty Thor, and it introduces female Thor [Jane Foster],” the director said. “So, there’s only one person who can do that.”

What about Thor himself? Hemsworth didn’t have much to share, although he did make some references back to Thor’s Lebowski-like behavior in Avengers: Endgame.

“He’s headed to 7/11, he got a Netflix subscription,” Hemsworth laughed. “But I think Taika’s got something planned.”

“Who knows? Only me because only I have read the script!” Waititi replied.

As for Valkyrie, who Thor named King of Asgard during Endgame’s conclusion, Thompson shared some details. “As new king, she needs to find her queen,” the actress said of Valkyrie’s role in Love and Thunder. “She has some ideas. She’ll keep you posted.”

Finally, Waititi didn’t forget about Thor: Ragnarok’s other most important additions to the MCU: Korg and Miek.

“Will we see Korg and Miek again?” Waititi speculated. “Is there an ongoing relationship between Thor and Korg? Who knows?” That sounds like a yes to us.

Waititi was confirmed as Thor 4’s director in a report from earlier during Comic-Con week–a report that also suggested the director’s live-action adaptation of the Akira manga has been delayed by what’s being called “development concerns.” However, that wasn’t the only Taika Waititi news out of Comic-Con, as the actor and director was also confirmed to be guest-starring in an episode of Rick and Morty Season 4.

During Marvel’s Comic-Con panel, the studio also discussed a ridiculously large number of other movies and shows, including Marvel’s Eternals, the Black Widow movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the Kate Bishop Hawkeye Disney+ show, Marvel’s “What If…?” animated series, Loki’s Disney+ show, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the Vision and Scarlett Witch Disney+ series WandaVision, the Falcon and Winter Soldier Disney+ show, a new freaking Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali, and more.

At Marvel’s San Diego Comic-Con panel Hawkeye took center stage and new details were confirmed about the Avenger’s crack-shot archer having his own show. During the Marvel panel, a logo was shown and it was reminiscent of the logo from Matt Fraction’s run on the comic series.

Kate Bishop, another character to take the mantle of Hawkeye in the Marvel universe, will be featured in the show. She was described by Hawkeye actor Jeremy Renner as “the best version of Hawkeye.”

He continued: “What I get to do is shepherd a new character to be ultimately a better version of me. I get to teach someone else how to be a superhero without superpowers–which is an amazing thing because that means everyone can be a dang superhero, right?”

Additionally, Marvel Studios president Kevin Fiege said the show will also explore Clint Barton’s time as Ronin more too. This was all part of Marvel’s broader announcement of Phase 4 movies and shows.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is going to get a bit weirder in 2021. That’s when Marvel Studios will launch What If…?, an animated adaptation of its series of comics by the same name. Marvel Studios made the announcement about the series at its San Diego Comic-Con panel in Hall H, along with dropping some information about casting for the series.

The stories spin out what-if scenarios about Marvel heroes and villains that can take some strange twists and turns. With the establishment of a multiverse in Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios now has infinite stories to play with where different versions of its characters experience different stories than what we see in the main MCU movies.

“With this, all of those set-in-stone MCU experiences you’ve seen before, you’re going to see different versions of them,” Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige said.

Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) will star in the series as The Watcher, a character who serves as the What If…? series narrator. “The Watcher is a being, a non-earthly being, who observes all things, he’s watching over the multiverse, and he occasionally may or may not intervene with the earthlings,” Wright explained.

Feige also said many MCU actors would reprise their roles, providing their voices for the series as it details tales about how the history of the MCU could have gone differently. The series is set to release in Summer 2021.

There’s plenty more news coming out of the Marvel panel, so stay tuned to our Comic-Con hub for our full coverage of everything you need to know.