This weekend, Marvel returns to Chicago with a nonstop schedule of star-studded signings, panels, stage events, and more! From Friday, February 28 – Sunday, March 1, fans will want to stop by the Marvel Booth (Booth #327) and experience a thrilling series of events happening all weekend long.

From the moment the doors open, fans will be able to get their hands on Marvel’s convention-exclusive t-shirts (while supplies last) featuring iconic characters like the web-slinging hero Spider-Man, the deadly assassin Black Widow, and more of their favorite Super Heroes. Fans will also have the chance to purchase an exclusive Black Widow Spirit Jersey only available at C2E2 this year!

For attendees at both C2E2 and ECCC this year, Marvel will also be offering an exclusive selection of individually numbered, bagged & boarded variant comics while supplies last, including:

· X-MEN/FANTASTIC FOUR #1 GLOW-IN-THE-DARK VARIANT BY FRANK CHO (limited to 3,000 total copies)

· WOLVERINE #1 FLUORESCENT VARIANT BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER (limited to 3,000 total copies)

· GWEN STACY #1 GLOW-IN-THE-DARK VARIANT BY SARA PICHELLI (limited to 3,000 total copies)

Looking for more comics? Fans can snag an exclusive giveaway sketch variant of Excalibur #7 by artist Mahmud Asrar during the Marvel Fanfare with C.B. Cebulski panel, and Marvel Unlimited Plus members and Marvel Mastercard cardholders will be able to get an exclusive ultra-rare variant cover of Captain Marvel #15– for FREE!* Drawn by artist Todd Nauck, the cover presents Earth’s Mightiest Hero Captain Marvel soaring through the cosmos - rendered in the inimitable style of Cosbaby by Hot Toys!

In addition to grabbing your exclusive variants, be sure to swing by Marvel’s booth to check out Marvel Unlimited – Marvel’s digital comics app providing access to over 27,000 digital comics. Anyone signing up for a subscription at the booth will receive a free Venom box, including an action figure, comics and more.** And Marvel Insiders, make sure you attend Marvel panels and visit the Marvel booth to capture special codes to earn tens of thousands of Marvel Insider points!

Marvel’s signing schedule will include some of the biggest creators in the industry – including Chris Claremont, Al Ewing, Nick Spencer, Tini Howard, Ben Percy, Jonathan Hickman, Skottie Young, Eve L. Ewing, Rainbow Rowell, and many more!

Attendees at Skottie Young’s signing on Friday will also be able to test their abilities for the mystical and mysterious Strange Academy! Marvel’s first school of magic is in session this March, and Skottie Young wants YOU to apply! But do you have what it takes to train with the best of Marvel’s sorcerers? Drop by the Marvel booth to apply for admission and find out if you are accepted or denied directly from Skottie himself – and receive a signed Strange Academy poster while you’re at it!

*In order to redeem the comic, fans must come to the Marvel Booth #327 and present their Marvel Mastercard (if they are a Marvel Mastercard cardholder) OR Marvel Unlimited+ membership card or order confirmation (if they are a Marvel Unlimited+ member). One comic per member or cardholder. Comics are available while supplies last.

**Supplies are limited. Must subscribe to Marvel Unlimited on site. Auto-renewal and other terms and conditions apply.

MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT PANEL SCHEDULE***:

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28:

Marvel Artist Extravaganza: A This Week in Marvel Special Event

12:00pm - 1:00pm

Room S401

Marvel’s most amazing comic book series shine due to exceptional artists and storytellers creating each issue. This Week in Marvel invites writer & artist Skottie Young (Strange Academy) and other Mighty Marvel Guests who work on X-Men, Venom, Spider-Man, and more to talk about how they work with their creative teams and the unique storytelling process of the medium.

Marvel Fanfare with CB Cebulski

1:15pm - 2:15pm

Room S401

This is your chance to meet the head of editorial at Marvel! In an exclusive and intimate panel experience, Editor in Chief C.B. Cebulski along with Marvel mega-stars Jonathan Hickman (X-Men) and Al Ewing (Empyre) will talk about anything and everything involved with Marvel Comics. Learn about the origin stories of these superlative storytellers straight from the source, and ask all of your burning questions during the Q&A! PLUS – Attendees of this panel will receive an EXCLUSIVE Excalibur #7 sketch variant, available while supplies last!

MARVEL COMICS: X-Men

2:30pm - 3:30pm

Room S401

X-ceptional writer Jonathan Hickman (X-Men) is joined by Editor in Chief C.B. Cebulski, Senior Editor Jordan D. White, and a Krakoan Habitat’s worth of X-Men creators to bring you all-new data straight from the House of X House of Ideas! The Dawn of X has broken, and mutantkind has begun to leave a new mark on the world! But what comes next for Marvel’s Merry Mutants? Find out in this can’t-miss panel featuring Gerry Duggan (Marauders, Cable), Tini Howard (Excalibur), Benjamin Percy (X-Force, Wolverine), Ed Brisson (New Mutants), Vita Ayala (Children of the Atom), and Leah Williams (X-Factor).

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29:

MARVEL COMICS: Empyre

3:45pm - 4:45pm

Room S401

Come join us, brothers and sisters, as we enumerate upon the crimes of the intergalactic war criminals knows as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, and take up arms in a mighty Kree & Skrull Alliance against them! The rally will be led by Ryan Penagos, with Alliance members Al Ewing, C.B. Cebulski, and Tom Brevoort in attendance in Emperor Hulkling’s stead. The Kree and Skrulls are ready to present a united front against the Avengers – and any other Terrans that stand in their way. This panel will detail the battle plans to be chronicled in Marvel's earth-shattering comic event series of 2020…Your presence is mandatory.

MARVEL COMICS: Next Big Thing

5:00pm - 6:00pm

Room S401

Al Ewing! Skottie Young! Donny Cates! These titanic talents along with Editor in Chief C.B. Cebulski and Executive Editor Tom Brevoort unite to bring you the hottest Marvel projects of 2020! What cosmic calamity awaits the Guardians of the Galaxy in the outer reaches of space? Is Venom prepared to face his deadliest foe yet? And which class at Strange Academy has the hardest midterm? Learn the answers to these questions and more in this premier panel event!

SUNDAY, MARCH 1:

Women of Marvel

12:15pm - 1:15pm

Room S401

Today, telling stories for Marvel means stepping into a long lineage of characters and a vast web of backstories. What's it like to take on that challenge as a creator? This year at C2E2, Women of Marvel invites some of Marvel’s celebrated storytellers to the stage to talk about how they stay true to their creative style while continuing the stories of comic book characters so many people know and love.

***Due to guest scheduling conflicts, Marvel's Storyboards World Premiere with Joe Quesada (originally scheduled for Saturday, February 29) has been cancelled***

MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT BOOTH SCHEDULE (#327):

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28:

11:00am – 11:30am – Prop Store’s Marvel Television Live Auction Preview

12:00pm – 1:00pm – MARVEL COMICS: X-MEN SIGNING

2:30pm – 3:30pm – Marvel Becoming: Cosplay Photo Op

3:45pm – 4:45pm – Marvel Comics: Strange Academy Signing & Application Test

6:00pm – 7:00pm – Marvel Super Hero Happy Giveaway Hour

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29:

11:00am – 11:30am – Marvel Mystery Message

12:00pm – 1:00pm – MARVEL COMICS: EMPYRE SIGNING

2:00pm – 3:00pm – Marvel Becoming: Costume Contest****

3:15pm – 3:45pm – Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes Exhibit Preview

4:15pm – 4:45pm – Marvel Mystery Message

6:00pm – 7:00pm – Marvel Super Hero Happy Giveaway Hour

SUNDAY, MARCH 1:

12:00pm – 12:30pm – Marvel Mystery Message

1:00pm – 2:00pm – Marvel Civil War: Empyre Edition

2:30pm – 3:00pm – Marvel Becoming: Kids Costume Event

4:00pm – 5:00pm – Marvel Super Hero Happy Giveaway Hour

MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT SIGNING SCHEDULE (#327):

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28:

12:00pm – 1:00pm – MARVEL COMICS: X-MEN SIGNING (feat. Jonathan Hickman, Gerry Duggan, Tini Howard, Benjamin Percy, Ed Brisson, Vita Ayala, Leah Williams)

3:00pm – 3:45pm – Al Ewing, Michael Cho, and Rachelle Rosenberg

3:45pm – 4:45pm – MARVEL COMICS: STRANGE ACADEMY SIGNING & APPLICATION TEST (feat. Skottie Young)

5:00pm – 5:45pm – Rainbow Rowell, Robbie Thompson

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29:

11:00am – 11:45am – Leah Williams, Tini Howard, Vita Ayala

12:00pm – 1:00pm – MARVEL COMICS: EMPYRE SIGNING (feat. Al Ewing, Tom Brevoort, C.B. Cebulski)

1:00pm – 1:45pm – Kyle Higgins, Rod Reis

3:00pm – 3:45pm – Benjamin Percy, Ed Brisson, Jonathan Hickman

SUNDAY, MARCH 1:

11:00am – 11:45am – Chris Claremont

12:00pm– 12:45pm – Nick Spencer, Pat Gleason, Ryan Ottley

2:00pm – 2:45pm – Eve L. Ewing, David Nakayama

****See Marvel.com/c2e2-costume-contest-rules for full terms and conditions

You may have noticed that I’m not the biggest fan of ‘Industry Insiders’ who have paywalls set up to dole out rumors like… well, I couldn’t find a metaphor that wasn’t extremely insulting so we’ll just move on. Those ‘insiders’ need to have a ready supply of rumors to keep their subscribers coming back and since there is no accountability for erroneous rumors, one has to wonder if some of them are just made up out of thin air. James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, has a times come out and addressed a batch of rumors that fans ask him about on social media. He did this again recently and here are some of the rumors he addressed along with his response. A report that the upcoming Man of Tomorrow has changed its title to Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Gunn has said before that this was more than a Superman movie and confirms the title has NOT changed by simply saying, “Nope.” Another report says that the film with begin filming in a few weeks, and while it will begin shortly, he says “by strict definition of Few, nope.” Reports say that he’s trying to rush through Matt Reeves’ The Batman Epic Crime Saga so he can then get to Brave and the Bold. That’s another ‘Nope’. Scoopers claim that Paradise Lost, the Wonder Woman prequel series was now dead or shelved. I know this will surprise you, but he said, “Nope”. And he did confirm one thing, that Superman does not believe in Santa Claus because, “He’s an adult.” Rumors can be fun to talk about and debate, but if they set unrealistic expectations that ruin the film for someone, then that’s a problem. And paying for rumors… that seems a bit crazy to me. 

Many MCU fans wonder why the events of Daredevil: Born Again won’t be even referenced in upcoming films like Spider-Man: Brand New Day. In Born Again, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) is the new Mayor of New York and has declared martial law along with creating a taskforce to hunt down vigilantes and you would think someone like Spider-Man (Tom Holland) would be on his radar. But that’s not going to happen on the big screen, no Fisk in BND and SFX Magazine thought that would be a good thing to ask Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane about. “I’d be into it, because I dig the comics! But no, that’s been kind of a fun and challenging thing. We know there’s a huge world out there of the MCU. This corner of it has crossovers. We’ve seen Daredevil in other shows, there are other characters that are going to be popping up in movies and stuff, and that all goes into the larger MCU of it all. The joke we make is, ‘Oh, those guys are uptown – we’re downtown!’ We kind of have a pocket that’s in this world of Hell’s Kitchen, in this world of New York. I always think that maybe these characters take a little vacation into the larger world but the story that we’re focusing on is really granular.” Let me translate that, “They can borrow our toys, but we can’t touch there’s.” A shame as we all want a real Daredevil/Spider-Man crossover.   

“You have failed this beach!” Okay, there is probably no way Stephen Amell will say that line in the new Baywatch reboot, but I can’t be the only one who thought about it. Fox announced yesterday that the former Arrow, Heels and Suits LA star would be the lead in the networks bid to recapture the popularity of their lifeguard themed drama from the 90s. Amell will be playing the role of Hobie Buchannon, a role first introduced in the OG series. Hobie’s world turns upside down when Charlie, the daughter he didn’t know he had, shows up ready to put on the red bathing suit and follow in the family business. The show got a straight-to-series 12-episode order back in September, so the network is moving quickly. An interesting note is that Amell is the right age if the network wanted to bring back David Hasselhoff to reprise the role of Hobie’s father Mitch for an episode or two. 

You may not have known this, but in 2021 a Zatanna movie was in the works. J.J. Abrams had given the project to Emerald Fennell to script as she was coming off 2020 directorial debut, A Promising Young Woman. So, what happened? According to Fennell, who recently joined the Happy Sad Confused podcast, what she had written was “probably too far away from the genre.” She was very honest about the work, saying: “I think it was demented because I was probably going through it at the time. And the thing is, I think what I can’t help but—and then, I’d just finished A Promising Young Woman, and there was this huge thing in this world I’d never operated in. And again, it was a kind of superhero movie, and I was like, ‘How do I make the version of a superhero movie that I would connect to emotionally?’ Which is sort of the woman in the middle of a nervous breakdown, so it’s a script reflective of a woman in the middle of a nervous breakdown. And in terms of what that means, I suppose it just meant that it was probably too far away from the genre.” For those of you who are not familiar with Zatanna, she was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson in the pages of November 1964’s Hawkman and has been a consistent magical character in the DC Universe ever since, regularly teaming up with Batman, John Constantine and was a member of the Justice League. Fennell went on to describe the script, “It was really dark. I haven’t read it for a really long time, because I found it really difficult. Because, also the thing is, I love JJ [Abrams] so much, and he took a chance offering me to do it, and I really wanted to deliver something amazing for them. And I always felt like I hadn’t quite maybe delivered the thing that they wanted. So, I haven’t read it since, and I wonder if I read it now, I’d be more generous toward myself. But I felt like, I wished I’d been able to deliver the thing they wanted. They were really lovely about it, it’s even just remembering. You’re making me remember scenes, I’m like, ‘Nobody would have made that.'” I have to admit I totally want to read that script now. 

Don’t expect to see Vincent D’Onofrio show up in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. It seems the rights to the character still precludes him from appearing in a film unless Sony wants him to. Which, yes, Brand New Day is a Sony/Marvel production… but while visiting the Bingworthy podcast, the Kingpin actor responded to the question about the current mayor of the MCU NYC showing up by saying, “No. I think I’ll just wait until they have the rights to my character and they put me in one of those movies, and then I’ll figure it all out.” This makes sense that Marvel can’t just have the character show up in any random film, like The Thunderbolts, without Sony saying okay, but he is available for television appearances. Why Sony has chosen to not let the character show up in a Sony film though seems a little odd, unless the actor is using the rights issue as a cover to keep from telling us that Wilson Fisk will not be the mayor after the events of the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again season two, which is scheduled to release in March and complete well before Brand New Day hits theaters. 

In 1989 writer/artist John Byrne was working on the West Coast Avengers title for Marvel and decided to have some fun. Since there was both an east and west coast version of the team, he decided to make a third one, in the middle of the country, and keeping with the body of water theme to the names… we got the Great Lakes Avengers. The team was made up of five founding members: Mr. Immortal, Flat Man, Big Bertha, Dinah Soar and Doorman and while the team has probably had more cease-and-desist lawsuits filed against them than real battles, they have been around for years now and have popped up a lot. The interesting thing though is that two of these members have now made appearances in the MCU. And not just blink-and-you-missed-it moments. Both Mr. Immortal and Doorman have had at least half, if not a full episode of a series dedicated to them. In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, David Pasquesi plays Craig Hollis aka Mr. Immortal who has his immortal ability and uses it to get out a marriages, which he has a lot of. When pressured by his own attorneys, he leapt out of a high-rise window and plummeted to the street below, slamming into the roof of a car, only to pop right back up and walk away. It doesn’t end well for him though as he is forced to pay off all of his exes. Then we get to meet DeMarr Davis aka the Doorman in the new Wonder Man series. Byron Bowers plays the man with the ability to use his body as a door in and out of the dark dimension. While he is a mutant in the comics, in the MCU he gets his abilities by touching toxic waste from Roxxon, similar to how Cloak & Dagger got their powers. DeMarr becomes a cautionary tale about chasing fortune and fame in Hollywood that may have cost the life of beloved actor Josh Gad. It also made the industry enact a law banning superpowered people from working in show business. This is a major plot point in the series. With two of the five characters both located in Southern California, could we end up getting the rest of the team at some point and them relocating for a fresh start? Sounds like the perfect idea for one of those Marvel Spotlight one-hour specials. 

Fans are eager to see the upcoming Lanterns series on HBO and besides a still shot and a few seconds of footage, very little about the series is known at this point. We got our first comments about it from series star Kyle Chandler who will be playing one of the most well-known Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan. Chandler was being interviewed on the Today Show for his new film The RIP with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. During the interview he was asked about Lanterns and said, “I’ve never had as much fun shooting something as I did that. The people from the top to the bottom. I can’t say enough about Chris Mundy, and the producers, the DC folks. It was an excellent experience. I expect the show to be as good as the experience I had. Aaron Pierre, who I worked with, he and I had a great time.” The series is slated to be released later this year and comes from Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King. Joining Chandler and Pierre in the cast are Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner and then Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Jason Ritter, Poorna Jagannathan, and Paul Ben-Victor. There will be eight episodes and it is said to be mostly an Earth-based mystery set in the heartland of America with a True Detective vibe. 

Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. has stirred plenty of speculation across Hollywood, but one message from the streamer’s leadership has been unusually clear: the theatrical experience isn’t going anywhere. In fact, if the sale closes, Netflix says it will strengthen Warner Bros.’ traditional theatrical model rather than shrink it. Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co‑CEO, has repeatedly emphasized that Warner Bros. films will continue to enjoy a 45‑day exclusive theatrical window—a stance that directly counters fears that Netflix would rush major releases to streaming. Sarandos described Warner Bros.’ theatrical distribution as a “phenomenal” engine that generates billions in revenue, insisting Netflix has no intention of putting that at risk. This commitment marks a notable shift in tone for Netflix, which historically prioritized streaming-first strategies. But after reviewing Warner Bros.’ financials, Sarandos acknowledged that the economics of theatrical releases are stronger than Netflix had previously modeled. He framed the 45‑day window not as a compromise but as a competitive strategy: Netflix wants to “win opening weekend” and “win box office,” embracing the same metrics that drive traditional studios. Industry observers have taken notice. While some feared the acquisition would accelerate the decline of theatrical exclusivity, Netflix’s public stance suggests a more balanced future—one where streaming power and box office ambition coexist. For now, at least, moviegoers can expect Warner Bros. films to keep lighting up big screens for a full month and a half before landing on Netflix’s platform. 

The DCU is expanding with the casting of one of the universe’s biggest bads… Darkseid. While this seems to go against something co-studio head James Gunn has said previously about staying away from the cosmic threat, but this casting isn’t for Man of Tomorrow, but rather the upcoming Mister. Miracle animated series and you can’t really tell the story of Scott Free with mentioning his adopted daddy. Writer Tom King was on the Word Balloon podcast when he talked about the series that he is showrunning and said that they had cast Darkseid and Orion along with Mr. Miracle and Big Barda. If you’re not familiar with these characters, they are all part of the Fourth World Saga created by comic legend Jack Kirby during his short stint with DC Comics. It tells the story of two warring factions, the New Gods and the planet Apokolips and a deal that was made in an attempt for peace. The leaders of the factions, High Father and Darkseid, would exchange children… this sent Scott Free to be raised on the oppressive planet while Orion was sent to the peaceful New Genesis. Scott would become and escape artist, finding a way off of Apokolips with the female warrior, Barda, and eventually come to Earth. Exactly what part of that history the series will focus on is unclear, but we do know that Darkseid and the others will be involved. Gunn also confirmed on social media that the series will be cannon to the DCU that includes the recent Superman movie, the Peacemaker series and the animated Creature Commandos. This means that whoever is voicing these characters in the series would also play them in live action in the future and King has said that the Mister Miracle series will have big ramifications on the DCU as a whole. No word on when the series will debut, but with the casting already made, we can expect an announcement in the near future. 

Takashi Yamazaki’s follow-up to the 2023 Godzilla Minus One is set to hit North American theaters on November 6th, 2026, three days after its premier in Japan. The Academy Award winning film took in $11.4 million in the US on its opening weekend and $57 million total during its domestic box office run. Godzilla Minus Zero is the second film in the franchise from Gkids since taking Toho acquired the company in 2024. David Jesteadt, president of Gkids, said in a statement: “Gkids is proud to bring Godzilla Minus Zero to North American audiences, following the incredible global reception of Godzilla Minus One. This next chapter is sure to become another defining moment for the most colossal monster ever to dominate the screen. It is only fitting that this bold, new Godzilla event be experienced in its fullest theatrical glory, and we’re honored that Toho has entrusted us to carry this legacy forward.”