Why Marvel Studios is skipping Hall H and San Diego Comic Con
Think of this less of an unexpected break, and more of a scheduled absence
Marvel Studios’ decision to skip Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con made a lot of people sit up and take notice when it was first revealed, prompting a lot of speculation over what it could mean in the bigger picture for Marvel and San Diego Comic-Con as a whole. Here’s the actual answer: probably very little.
Firstly, this is nothing new; Marvel Studios has skipped SDCC’s Hall H on a relatively regular basis for the past decade — it didn’t appear in 2018, and there was no panel in 2015, either. If anything, Marvel Studios skipping Hall H this year fits into the pattern of doing two years, then skipping one, then doing returning. (Remember, there was no SDCC in 2020 or 2021 because of COVID — so, 2019 and 2022, and then skipping 2023 fits the pattern.)
Additionally, thanks to schedule delays — and, for that matter, an already teased slowdown on the roll-out of future movies and shows — there’s the simple truth that fans have already been told everything that Marvel is doing for the next two years. Last year’s Hall H panel from Marvel Studios revealed everything through the end of Phase 5, complete with trailers and title announcements and teases of what’s beyond that… but what was intended to run through summer 2024 is now running through early 2025… and that’s assuming that they won’t be delayed further due to the WGA strike or any other issues.
Bearing both of these in mind, the decision to not hold a Hall H panel at this year’s Comic-Con feels less like an oddity or something unusual, and far more like standard operating procedure. That’s certainly something might be frustrating for those attending San Diego Comic-Con this year and hoping to catch some of that Kevin Feige magic for themselves, and is certainly less worthy of headlines, but given all the actual troubles that Marvel Studios is facing right now — everything from criticism over its use of AI to the actor central to the next five years of releases facing criminal charges over domestic abuse — skipping Hall H this summer is, honestly, not anything anyone need worry about.
After all, going from experience, they’ll be back at San Diego Comic Con 2024, D23 Expo 2024. And San Diego Comic Con 2025 the year after that. After that… well, we’ll see.
The news that Marvel is skipping Hall H might make you nostalgic for last year’s Marvel Studios panel. It’s okay to admit it.
