Marvel Mondays Roundup: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, ‘Marvel Rivals’, SDCC and More!

Welcome to the first edition of Feature First’s Marvel Mondays, the weekly recap newsletter where we keep you up to date on all things Marvel. Our first edition covers the week of July 22nd to July 28th, a big week for Marvel as it saw the release of the Marvel Rivals Closed Beta Test, The premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine in theatres, as well as the Marvel Studios Hall H Panel at SDCC. Without further ado, let’s dive in!

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Hits Theatres

On July 22nd, fans were shown the red carpet premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine live at the Lincoln Center in New York City. Many of the cast members such as stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman alongside director Shawn Levy were present at the event. For those hoping that any cameo actors were present at the event, fans may be left a little disappointed as only one was present after being revealed in a trailer a few days prior. The event ran smoothly and attendees were allowed to see the film before its theatrical release on July 26th.

This was not the only Deadpool & Wolverine event planned for this week, Marvel Studios held a panel at SDCC titled Deadpool & Wolverine Celebration of Life. Attendees were also shown the film but not without its surprises, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Shawn Levy and Kevin Feige were on stage to greet attendees before a special clip of Leslie Uggams as Blind Al telling them to start the movie. At the end of the movie attendees were introduced to special guests found in the film.

As a final hurrah for the panel, a special drone show was held outside the convention centre which lasted for 11 minutes and earned the Guinness World Record for “largest aerial display of a fictional character formed by multirotors/drones.” You can view the drone show and panel highlights here:

The film opened in theatres on July 26th, and on July 28th it was revealed that the film hit a box office milestone. The film made $205 million on it’s opening weekend making it the eighth biggest opening in box office history placing the film between Black Panther at $202 Million and The Avengers at $207 Million.

Finally, attendees at the Marvel Studios panel on July 27th were treated to a Deadpool & Wolverine choir which performed Madonna’s “Like A Prayer”, one of the main songs featured on the film’s soundtrack. You can view the choir performance here:

‘Marvel Rivals’ Closed Beta Launch And New Characters Revealed

July 23rd saw the launch of the Marvel Rivals closed beta test which opened its doors to Playstation 5 and Xbox Series S/X players. This new test introduces Adam Warlock and Venom as playable characters. Adam Warlock joins the roster as a Strategist class character with a difficulty of 2/5 stars. Venom on the other hand is a Vanguard class character with a difficulty of 3/5 stars. The Closed Beta test runs from July 23rd, 6PM ET to August 5th, 3AM ET.

Following the launch, NetEase Games held a Marvel Rivals panel at SDCC on July 25th which showcased artwork, voice cast, new character reveals and a cinematic trailer which you can watch here: 

The new characters are Jeff The Landshark and Thor Odinson which were added to the game on July 27th. Jeff belongs to the strategist class with a difficulty of 2/5 stars. Thor Odinson belongs to the vanguard class with a difficulty of 2/5 stars.

Marvel Comics At SDCC

July 26th saw comics both new and expanding on already established series. WIth the hype surrounding Deadpool & Wolverine, the arrival of a new Deadpool was announced. Deadpool’s daughter, Ellie makes here debut in Deadpool #7 launching on October 2nd. The following synopsis was released:

Wade has fallen, and his daughter Ellie has taken up the mantle! Taskmaster continues her mercenary training, but what she really wants is vengeance. And to get that, she’ll need Princess’ help.

We are also introduced to a new group of Deadpool animal variants with the Dogpool Infinity Comic #1 available now on the Marvel Unlimited app. The following synopsis was released:

Come on down to Old MacDeadpool’s Farm and get to know his favorite furry friends: Dogpool, Catpool and Mousepool! But don’t say we didn’t warn ya—their bites are worse than their barks!

That’s not the only Infinity Comic arriving on Marvel Unlimited, Beastly Buddies Infinity Comic #1 starring Man-Thing and the Werewolf By Night will arrive just in time for Halloween on October 18th. The following synopsis was released:

Ted and Jack are best friends tackling the sorts of problems all modern readers can relate to: getting ousted from their ancestral castle by pitchfork-wielding villagers, unknowingly being pursued by infamous monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone, and trying to find a place for yourself in the world when one of you is a grouchy werewolf and the other is a plant-based nexus being.

In a spooky twist in the comedic spirit of smash hits like IT’S JEFF, Beastly Buddies follows Man-Thing and Werewolf by Night as they discover the lighter side of Marvel’s darkest corners on a quest to figure out where they fit in!

This year will see the conclusion of the first year of the ultimate line comics with Ultimate Universe: One Year In #1, a one-shot finale releasing on December 11th.. The following synopsis was released: 

It’s been one year since the Maker was locked away and the Ultimate Universe was left in the hands of his villainous council. And in that time, heroes around the world have risen up, determined to fix this broken world.

Now, with one year left until their leader’s return, the Maker’s Council launches a bold plan to wipe out these heroes. This oversized one-shot sets the stage for the second year of the Ultimate line and includes the debut of the Ultimate versions of two major Marvel characters!

A new spider-character will debut in Spider-Boy #12 releasing on October 12th. Spider-Girl is promised to have a backstory that rivals the origin of Spider-Boy. The following synopsis was released: 

The all new… Spider-Girl?! After the recent status quo shake-up, Spider-Boy’s life really will never be the same again! In light of what happened, maybe it’s time for Bailey Briggs to be someone else’s sidekick. Get ready Daredevil, because here comes The “Boy Without Fear!” Also in this issue: find out what Bullseye has to do with it all.

Finally, the TVA returns in the form of a five-issue limited series releasing on December 18th.. TVA is written by Loki series writer Katharyn Blair with artwork done by Pere Perez. This new series will see the debut of MCU characters such as Miss Minutes into comics alongside comic characters. The following synopsis was released:

The mysterious all-knowing entity who keeps the TVA ticking like clockwork will recruit a new band of heroes charged with monitoring and regulating all realities and timelines. Join Ghost-Spider and other universe-displaced entities including Captain Carter, a heartbroken Remy LeBeau, and more as they’re sent throughout the Multiverse on vital missions to repair wild temporal anomalies and keep reality itself from shattering! 

‘Captain America: Brave New World’ At Hall H

July 27th was one of the most anticipated days of the week, Marvel Studios Hall H panel. The three films releasing in 2025 were shown alongside updates on Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars. After a Deadpool & Wolverine choir, it was time to talk about Captain America: Brave New World. New footage from the film was shown, giving fans a better look at the Red Hulk, announcing the existence of Adamantium in 616, and Giancarlo Esposito revealed that he plays Sidewinder, King of the Serpent Society in the film. A description of the footage was released online by Gizmodo and goes as follows:

The footage began at the White House. President Ross (Harrison Ford) is hosting an event about the celestial mass that appeared on Earth. He explains that when that happened, many different people rushed to try and claim it. It was a whole mess. But, thanks to Captain America, they finally have found something of value. A new element: adamantium. Yes, that adamantium.

In a new scene that seems to come after, we see Sam (Anthony Mackie) and Ross speaking in the Oval Office. He wants Cap to rebuild the Avengers but, Cap points out, Ross’ Sokovia Accords previously destroyed the Avengers. So, he asks, what happens when they disagree? We don’t get an answer.

A bunch of action scenes, including a big part of the White House being destroyed, happen and we see Sam in a normal suit strutting into the Situation Room. He says he has to talk to the President. Everyone leaves, except one woman: Ruth (Shira Haas). Ross says she stays no matter what. Apparently, Sam is worried that Ross’s inner circle has been compromised and Ross tells Ruth to put it to bed. Sam says that’s bullshit. Ross says it’s politics.

A person in a hood kills a bunch of people in a room. Captain America and Falcon (Danny Ramirez) are flying around together. We see Cap throw the shield from the air with the wings spread out. The phrase “The Future Favors the Brave” appears on screen.

Ross is giving a speech outside the White House. Shots are fired, he ducks down and starts to Hulk out. Out emerges Red Hulk, with Harrison Ford’s face via motion capture.

Captain America: Brave New World stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Captain America, Danny Ramirez as Joaquín Torres / Falcon, Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross / Red Hulk, and Giancarlo Esposito as Sidewinder. The film hits theatres on February 14th, 2025.

‘Thunderbolts*’ At Hall H

Next up was Thunderbolts* which saw David Harbour appear in costume and in character as the Red Guardian, Lewis Pullman played coy about his role in the film, noting his character is simply named “Bob” and we learnt the name of Geraldine Viswanathan’s character, Mel which may allude to a greater role for her in the film.. Fans were treated to footage here as well, ComicBookMovie provided a description which goes as follows:

Yelena (Florence Pugh) knocks on Alexei’s (David Harbour) door. He is slobbing it up on the couch and tries to spruce up the place and himself before opening the door but it’s still very, very messy. He claims to be taking steps with a lot of work and being fulfilled, clearly lying. He asks what brings her here. ‘There is something wrong with me,’ she said. 

Bucky (Sebastian Stan) enters a courtroom. US Agent (Wyatt Russell) looks at news articles about himself. Yelena has a hallway fight reminiscent of Black Widow’s in Iron Man 2. She investigates a room, finds charts, and gets shot at by U.S. Agent. Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen)comes to her aid while another enemy helps U.S. Agent. “Bob” enters the room wearing a hospital gown. The room locks down its doors. 

Yelena explains she is a contract killer and has surmised that someone wants all of them dead. The room turns into a furnace. One scene showed what seems to be Loki’s sceptre, displayed in a glass case during a party, Bucky is not happy to see Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). He puts on his Vibranium arm. There is a scene in what might be Avengers Tower.

Thunderbolts* stars Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier, David Harbour as Alexei Andreovitch / The Red Guardian, Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr / Ghost, and Julia Loius-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The film hits theatres on May 2nd, 2025.

‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ At Hall H

One of the major announcements involved a title change for the film going from The Fantastic Four to The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The setting was described as a retro-futuristic New York and the film is promised to stay “true to the comics.” A pre-viz video was shown to the audience and a description was provided: 

The footage began with Reed Richards, portrayed by Pedro Pascal, teaching a Fantastic Science class, complete with an old-school accent and a banner in the background. The setting had a distinct 1960s retro-future aesthetic, emphasizing Marvel’s vision of blending classic elements with a futuristic twist.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ SDCC concept trailer featured the Fantasticar, a vintage Cadillac that looked like a vehicle from The Jetsons. This detail added to the nostalgic vibe. Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) appeared in a mock dating game. The game was called Let’s Make A Love Match. The game’s retro-style presentation featured silhouettes of the team’s male members. This playful scene highlights the characters’ chemistry and camaraderie.

Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm, aka The Human Torch, made a notable appearance. His sister Sue cheekily told the camera, ‘Ladies, he is very single.’ The SDCC footage concluded with a dramatic shot of Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, played by Ralph Ineson. The comic-accurate villain appeared peering into the Baxter Building. This hinted at the epic scale of the challenges the team will face.

That’s not all as the Fantasticar was also shown live, sending the cast off to London for their filming on Tuesday. You can see the video below: 

The Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards as Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm / The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / The Human Torch, and Ebon-Moss Bachrach as Ben Grimm / The Thing. The film hits theatres on July 25th, 2025.

Updates on ‘Avengers 5’ And ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

The panel closed with updates on Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars. Russo Brothers, Anthony and Joe Russo will direct both films and Stephen McFeely will write the scripts. Avengers 5 (Previously Avengers: Kang Dynasty) was renamed Avengers: Doomsday. The casting for doom was also introduced in style with countless Doombots arriving on stage to reveal that Robert Downey Jr. will portray the character in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Both films received new logos and it was confirmed that cast members from Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps will reprise their roles in the Avengers films.

Avengers: Doomsday will hit theatres in May 2026 and Avengers: Secret Wars will hit theatres in May 2027.

Rumour Mill

DanielRPK gave updates regarding two projects this week, Midnight Suns and Blonde Phantom. Midnight Suns will reportedly see the cast of the Werewolf By Night special presentation return, those being the titular character, Werewolf By Night (Gael García Bernal), Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), and Man Thing.

Blonde Phantom will reportedly begin shooting next year, and offers were sent to big names for various roles in the series. The titular character was previously rumoured to be played by Taylor Swift while fancasts suggested Sydney Sweeney as the lead.

What’s Next For Marvel?

Other than new rumours popping up, this week sees filming on The Fantastic Four: First Steps beginning in London on Tuesday which could result in set photos popping up online and a new episode of The Official Marvel Podcast on Wednesday.

The next major event to look forward to is D23, Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation will have their panels on August 9th.

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