A big week in superhero entertainment. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is three weeks out and already tracking for a massive opening. Marvel is heading back to Hall H. The Batman: Part II just added two wild casting surprises. And DC had its first real stumble. Here is what matters.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day -- Hulk Confirmed, $190M Opening Tracking, Sadie Sink Mystery Role
Spider-Man: Brand New Day drops July 31 and the hype is real. Kevin Feige officially confirmed that Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner and Hulk will appear in the film before Hulk returns for Avengers: Doomsday, making him one of the first characters explicitly bridging the two. The full confirmed cast now includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal back as the Punisher, Michael Mando as Scorpion, and Sadie Sink in a role still officially under wraps. Fan theories have Sink playing a recast Jean Grey setting her up for a future Avengers entry, while others point to her being Spider-Queen. Per ComicBookMovie.com, three-week box office tracking projects a $190 million opening weekend, which would put it among the biggest MCU debuts ever. That is a lot of pressure on a 31-day countdown.
Marvel Returns to Hall H -- Avengers: Doomsday, X-Men '97 Season 2, and a Possible Post-Secret Wars Reveal at SDCC 2026
Marvel Studios is back in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con for the first time since 2024 and the lineup is stacked. Per The Direct, confirmed panels include Avengers: Doomsday (releasing December 18, 2026), a dedicated Spider-Man: Brand New Day panel just days before the film opens, and X-Men '97 Season 2 on Friday July 24. Expected but not yet confirmed: VisionQuest, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2, and Daredevil: Born Again Season 3. The big wildcard is whether Kevin Feige uses the stage to reveal the post-Secret Wars MCU roadmap, which could include the X-Men reboot, Doctor Strange 3, and Black Panther 3. If you are watching from home, Hall H weekend is going to be loud.
The Batman: Part II -- Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan Join Robert Pattinson's Gotham, Filming Has Begun
The Batman: Part II added two of the biggest names from the MCU to its cast earlier this year and still has not told us who they are playing. Matt Reeves officially welcomed Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan to the sequel alongside Charles Dance, Brian Tyree Henry, and Sebastian Koch. A new photo of Stan circulating online has fans convinced they have figured out his character, though nothing is confirmed. Robert Pattinson has said he is gearing up for eleven weeks of shooting nights. The film releases October 1, 2027 as an Elseworlds title outside the main DCU. Watching two former MCU stars show up in a gritty noir Gotham is exactly the kind of casting move that keeps the internet busy for a year.
Supergirl's $38M Stumble and Why DC's Lanterns Needs to Deliver on August 16
DC Studios hit its first real speed bump with Supergirl, which crash-landed with a $38 million opening weekend per ComicBookMovie.com, making it DC Studios' first box office flop after Superman's $618 million worldwide run. Peter Safran acknowledged the miss and said DC is playing a long game. The studio will need Lanterns to restore momentum. SuperHeroHype confirmed the eight-episode HBO Max series starring Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan arrives August 16, right ahead of Clayface in October. Per Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Chris Mundy also led True Detective: Night Country, Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner has a truly ridiculous bowl cut, and Fillion has reportedly dropped more F-bombs filming Lanterns than in his entire career combined. If it lands, DC's TV arm could be where the real energy lives this fall.
Merch Watch
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is three weeks out and the figure wave is already hitting shelves. Marvel Legends has a solid run of Spider-Man characters worth picking up before the movie drops, and prices tend to spike the week it opens. If you want something no one else has, commission a custom piece inspired by your favorite character.
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