SAN DIEGO, July 24, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Disney announced a slew of Marvel
superhero movies including two new "Avengers" films Saturday at Comic-Con, as
it offered screaming fans an emotional first glimpse at its upcoming "Black
Panther" sequel.

The record-breaking Marvel movies have dominated Hollywood and global box
offices in recent years, with 2019's "Avengers: Endgame" briefly becoming the
highest-grossing film of all time at more than $2.79 billion.

"I wonder if you guys wouldn't mind looking ahead a little bit?" studio
president Kevin Feige asked the wildly cheering hall of die-hard superhero
fans toward the end of a raucous hour-plus presentation at a San Diego
convention center.

"Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" and "Avengers: Secret Wars" will hit theaters in
2025, he then announced.

The films will aim to follow in the footsteps of "Avengers: Endgame," which
built unprecedented hype by rounding off storylines presented in all the
preceding Marvel films.

The two new "Avengers" titles will conclude the next "saga" of more than a
dozen inter-connected films and television shows in the "Marvel Cinematic
Universe," said Feige.

"That will complete the second saga of the MCU, which of course is 'The
Multiverse Saga,'" he said.

The Marvel franchise in recent films and shows has explored the "multiverse"
concept popularized by superhero comic books, in which infinite universes --
and infinite versions of each hero and villain -- exist in parallel
realities.

- 'Black Panther' returns -

The Marvel presentation capped off the biggest day at Comic-Con, and drew the
week's loudest and most frenzied cheers in the 6,000 capacity Hall H, where
many had camped in line for days to gain access.

It ended with the first trailer for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," a
sequel to the first comic book film to win a best picture Oscar nomination,
set to premiere November 11.

Returning director Ryan Coogler, taking to the San Diego stage with a
colorful troupe of African drummers and dancers, paid an emotional tribute to
the first film's star, the "late, great Chadwick Boseman."

Boseman died from cancer in 2020, and his role is not being taken over by
another actor in the new film.

"I promise you, I can feel his hand on me right now," said Coogler.

"Chad is no longer with us physically, but his spirit, his passion, his
genius, his pride in his culture, and the impact he made on this industry
will be felt forever."

Coogler then presented new characters in the franchise being played by
Michaela Coel and Tenoch Huerta.

Coel, who won an Emmy for "I May Destroy You," praised the unique "energy" of
the first "Black Panther" film, which was widely seen as a breakthrough for
Black representation in mainstream Hollywood movies.

"I think it's got something to do with a Black superhero, padded out a clan
of Black superheroes and what that kind of does for Black people," she said.

- Marvel A-listers -

Other Marvel films announced Saturday by Disney at the world's most famous
pop culture gathering included "Thunderbolts" and "Fantastic Four," both due
in 2024.

Feige also set out dates for "Blade" -- in theaters November 2023 -- and the
newly titled "Captain America: New World Order" coming May 2024.

Bill Murray and Olivia Colman join the ranks of Hollywood A-listers flocking
to the Marvel franchise, appearing in first-look footage from movie "Ant-Man
and the Wasp: Quantumania" and Disney+ series "Secret Invasion" respectively.

Chris Pratt, Paul Rudd, and Lupita Nyong'o also appeared on stage Saturday
along with Jonathan Majors, whose "Kang the Conqueror" character appears
poised to become a major new supervillain for the franchise.