The future of the Marvel Multiverse is here, as San Diego Comic-Con is back with a bang for 2022. Ahead of the massive Saturday showcase, July 22 held host to the Marvel animation panel. Alongside the first look at Marvel’s What If…? Season 2, we got a peek at X-Men ‘97, Marvel’s Zombies and Spider-Man: Freshman Year.

Serving as a prequel of sorts to Tom Holland’s debut in Captain America: Civil War, executive producer and head writer Jeff Trammell’s cartoon plans to expand the wall-crawling hero’s story with a who’s who of Spidey favorites. Much like X-Men ‘97 and Marvel’s Zombies, it looks like Freshman Year takes place in one of the franchise’s alternate realities, meaning we can see anyone and everyone without messing with Holland’s live-action hero. Spider-Man: Freshman Year will hit Disney+ in 2024.

Here’s a full rundown of who’s stopping by (so far)…

Peter Parker

Front and center is the Webhead himself. The story follows Peter Parker’s first year of high school, but by the looks of it, he’s already established as a costumed hero. It’s currently unclear who will voice the series lead, but with Hudson Thames voicing Spidey in What…If?, it’s possible he could return here.

Daredevil

One of the few confirmed voice actors right now is a major one, with Daredevil’s Charlie Cox back as the Man Without Fear. Following a high-profile cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, many expected Matt Murdock to return to the MCU in some capacity. It’s not quite the long-rumored Daredevil Season 4, but it’s a huge win for fans of Cox and Netflix’s series.

Harry Osborn

With Harry Osborn confirmed to play a part in Spider-Man: Freshman Year, Peter’s comic book best friend is finally making his MCU debut. (Though it sounds like they won’t be best friends in the animated series…)

Norman Osborn

Willem Dafoe made his long-awaited return to the Spider-Verse for Spider-Man: No Way Home and might’ve gotten his happy ending when he was returned to his original timeline. In Freshman Year, Osborn takes on something of a mentor role – serving as a plot device similar to Tony Stark in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Osborn will cross paths with both Peter and Spider-Man, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll evolve into the Green Goblin.

Doctor Strange

Fresh off messing with the Multiverse in both No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Doctor Stephen Strange is back for more. Even though there’s no word on whether Benedict Cumberbatch will be reprising his role as the sorcerer, the fact that series is set in some version of the MCU coupled with him voicing Strange in What…If? makes it a possibility.

Aunt May

Back in the day, cartoon fans remember the white-haired Aunt May from Spider-Man: The Animated Series (and other shows), while her live-action film appearances also largely portrayed her as an older mother figure to Peter. That all changed with Marisa Tomei’s younger version, and from what we’ve seen of her, Freshman Year will bring back Aunt May following that No Way Home twist.

Amadeus Cho

The MCU is continuing the story of Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk in She-Hulk, but we now have the first tease of Bruce Banner’s potential replacement. Much like how Riri Willaims takes over from Iron Man, Cho is the eventual successor to Banner – taking on the mantle of Brawn. Introduced in 2005, Cho then returned for the World War Hulk arc. Given his love of science, we bet Cho will be teaming up with Parker in the lab.

Nico Minoru

Hulu’s Marvel’s Runaways might’ve not been as big a hit as something like Daredevil, but one of its characters is stopping by for Freshman Year. Nico doesn’t let her lineage as the daughter of two dark wizards get in her way. As the de facto leader of the Runaways in the comics, Nico Minoru has the chance to take Freshman Year beyond Peter’s high school drama. She’s been described as Peter’s best friend in the show.

Doctor Octopus

Another famous face from Spider-Man’s rogue's gallery is the legendary Doctor Octopus. Again with a style reminiscent of Spider-Man: The Animated Series, this version of Doc Ock also takes nods from the comics with his bowl haircut and goggles. There are enough villains to fill the Sinister Six (and beyond) on this show, and it seems like Otto will be leading the pack here.

Bentley Wittman/Wizard

Paul F. Tompkins voices Bentley Wittman in Freshman Year, but will he be taking on the mantle of the Wizard? Even though this supervillain might be remembered as an enemy of the Human Torch, the Wizard has also clashed with Spider-Man on plenty of occasions. Possessing superhuman strength and boasting an arsenal of wild weapons, Wittman is known as a founding member of the Frightful Four.

Mac Gargan/Scorpion

Better Call Saul’s Michael Mando had a minor role as Mac Gargan in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and although we never got to see him properly emerge as Scorpion, the character’s post-credit tease of the Sinister Six has become something of a cliffhanger. The Freshman Year concept art shown in the Marvel animation panel depicts Gargan in his classic Scorpion outfit – complete with green spandex and weaponized tail.

Dmitri Smerdyakov/Chameleon

Taking the honor of being Spider-Man's first adversary, Chameleon has a lot of comic book history as a master of disguises. Dmitri Smerdyakov is also known as the half-brother of Kraven the Hunter, and Fred Hechinger is rumored to be playing Chameleon in Sony’s Kraven the Hunter movie. The character has appeared in the MCU before as Numar Acar played Dmitri in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Aleksei Sytsevich/Rhino

Another staple of the Sinister Six is Rhino. Alongside appearances in The Animated Series and Insomniac’s Spider-Man game, the bulky Rhino was played by Paul Giamatti in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Whereas his comic book origin features the Russian mobster undergoing an experimental procedure that gives him super-hard skin, he’s typically shown as a thug in a suit these days.

James Sanders/Speed Demon

Heading into the lower tiers of Spider-Man villains, James Sanders appears in Freshman Year as Speed Demon. Originally known as the Whizzer in the comics, the character has since adopted the name of Speed Demon since parting ways with the Sinister Squadron. As his name suggests, Sanders is another Marvel speedster.

Milos Masaryk/Unicorn

Soviet intelligence agent Milos Masaryk was assigned to track down Anton Vanko as the original Crimson Dynamo. Harnessing the power of Vanko’s tech, Masaryk became the Unicorn and used a horned helmet to shoot a beam of radiation at his enemies. Unicorn was then affected by mutagenic radiation and gained superhuman strength. Given that he’s usually associated with Iron Man, it’ll be interesting to see how he fits in here.

Anton Miguel Rodriquez/Tarantula

Finally, the Spider-like Tarantula is rounding off Spider-Man: Freshman Year’s cast. Known as a terrorist in his homeland of Delvadia, Anton Miguel Rodriguez was recruited by his government as a fascist Captain America under the name of Tarantula. When he took on a life of crime in America, he was stopped by Spider-Man and Punisher before escaping from prison with the help of the Jackal. Again, look out for another young reimagining of the character.

And those are the biggest character reveals from the Marvel animation panel. Which character are you most excited to see? Let’s discuss in the comments!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is enjoying a renaissance in 2022, with multiple projects being released between movies, television, and games. But co-creator Kevin Eastman, who helped draw the comics that made the Turtles so famous, still has a special love for the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

Eastman, who was on-hand for an event promoting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, recently spoke with IGN about how the original film was "the best one ever done" and how he enjoyed Konami's arcade game (he likes to pick Donatello). He also talked about Seth Rogen's upcoming project, which is currently slated for release in 2023.

Calling himself a "big fan" of Rogen, Eastman said Rogen's desire to reflect the "teenage" part of TMNT makes sense in light of the original source material. After all, the turtles were only 15-years-old in the original comic, which depicted their first time above ground.

Eastman, however, says he doesn't have any involvement in Rogen's film, nor has he spoken with him.

"No, I have not spoken to him, and that's also awesome because I do feel like different parts of the Turtles, different universes that Nickelodeon would bring me to work on. The comic books for example, of the animated TV series. I worked most recently on the 2012 series and some on Rise. And some times that they want the creator that's … Like the Turtles versus Batman. That was something that was unique and one director's vision and they didn't need me. I did a couple drawings and sketches, but otherwise it was done on their own," Eastman explains.

"And so that's what I think is special. Because I don't want him to feel intimidated or think that if he asks me a question, I tell him, 'Well, you should do this,' that he should do that. It's his vision and his idea. And I think that's, what's personally exciting to me and I think that's, what's going to be exciting for the fans when they finally see the movie."

Eastman did, however, consult on the infamous Michael Bay films, which reimagined the classic turtle designs in grotesque ways. First released in 2014, the film eventually received a sequel, and Bay is attached to produce a third live-action film alongside Colin Jost and Casey Jost.

"They were a unique vision," Eastman says. "I had a number of meetings with the director, Jonathan Liebesman and he really went into it with heart and soul…He said, 'I want to tell the best Turtle movie ever, do the best turtle movie ever.' And his intent was pure."

However, it's clear that Eastman was at least a little bit at odds with that vision, even if he's otherwise complimentary of Liebesman and Bay.

"Sometimes the studio system can not be as accommodating as you like," Eastman says. "And I think there were some frustrations and there were things that I suggested that maybe they reconsider, but again, it's a unique and a individual artist's vision. And between Liebesman and Michael Bay, they had a story and a kind of movie that they wanted to tell. They told it. There was some great stuff in it. There's some stuff I would've done differently, but it's definitely right in the middle. Because my high watermark is the original Turtles movie and it'll always be the best Turtle movie ever done."

Eastman himself is still at it, working with fellow co-creator Peter Laird to produce a Turtles finale titled The Last Ronin, which he compares to Frank Miller's Dark Knight. The Cowabunga Collection is also not too far away, with a release date set for August 30 on a variety of platforms.

We're fully in the thick of San Diego Comic-Con, so make sure to keep an eye on IGN for everything announced at Comic-Con as the show continues.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Green Lantern: Beware My Power is available on Blu-ray and digital on July 26, 2022.

DC Comics have filled the ranks of the Green Lantern Corps with a large and diverse roster of humans and aliens serving as intergalactic peacekeepers, but adaptations have mostly centered on the Silver Age Green Lantern Hal Jordan. Green Lantern: Beware My Power, the latest film in DC’s Tomorrowverse animated movie continuity, aims to formally pass the mantle to Marine Corps veteran John Stewart (Aldis Hodge) — a natural choice given the character has been part of comics canon since the ‘70s and was a core member of the Justice League animated series. Unfortunately, the film fails to live up to its own lofty ambitions, delivering a muddy moral message and a story bogged down by far too many other characters.

Jeff Wamester, who also directed the Tommorowverse film Justice Society: World War II, introduces Stewart as a sniper struggling with PTSD after his time in Afghanistan. He initially thinks he’s losing his mind when he encounters a dying alien in a crashed spaceship — a riff on Hal’s classic origin story — and is granted the immense power of a Green Lantern ring. Unable to connect him with the Green Lantern headquarters on Oa, the helpful ring sends John to the Justice League headquarters for more information on what his new job means.

This triggers the first of many sequences in the film where the heroes initially fight to show off their powers and relative strengths before realizing this is all a big misunderstanding. Wamester and writers Ernie Altbacker and John Semper seem to assume viewers have a knowledge of DC characters that extends well beyond the current DC animated film continuity, introducing Martian Manhunter (Ike Amadi), Vixen (Keesha Sharp), and Green Arrow (Jimmi Simpson) with relatively little explanation before sending John and Green Arrow into space to investigate what happened to Hal Jordan (Nolan North) and why his boss Ganthet (Jason J. Lewis) needed to hand-deliver John’s ring.

The investigation, which starts out satisfyingly twisty, puts them into the middle of a war between the planets Thanagar and Rann, a retelling of a 2005 event by Dave Gibbons. This isn’t the only extremely dense comics event that the writers are trying to jam into a film that clocks in at less than 90 minutes and also seems to be setting the stage for a future meta-gene-focused plot. The overstuffed story does a disservice to John, stealing his spotlight in favor of introducing a constant stream of new characters that have to awkwardly recite their backstories. Powerful comics villains are reduced to nameless minions for the assembled heroes to fight or are dispatched far too easily so that the plot can swiftly move onto the next phase of the rapidly escalating stakes.

Woven throughout is a clumsily executed philosophical question about what it means for a soldier to become a superhero. Superhero comics and media have spent decades grappling with the ethics of killing, but Green Lantern: Beware My Power adds nothing to that debate, basically concluding you probably shouldn’t kill people but it’s OK if you really have no other choice.

John Stewart was one of DC’s first Black heroes and the handling of that aspect of the character is even worse. When Green Arrow — who spends much of the film mentoring John based on his time spent with Hal — explains that a Green Lantern power ring won’t work on the color yellow, John replies “I’ve been up against that kind of barrier my whole life.” It’s an extremely awkward way to address racism, made even sillier by the fact that the restriction never winds up posing a problem for John. It’s also bizarre that Green Arrow seems to know more about what a power ring is capable of than the former Green Lantern Sinestro, who should really know better.

All that said, there are some good ideas here. The writers understand that space opera is the best genre for a Green Lantern story, even if they don’t give that story enough time to breathe. In what feels like a nod to fans of the Justice League series, the film introduces John to both of his love interests from the show — Vixen and Hawkgirl (Jamie Gray Hyder). Thanagarians take on the role of Klingons here, which makes for some funny conflicts with the much more laidback Green Arrow as Hawkgirl constantly picks fights and opines on the value of an honorable death. The facial expressions and fights are well animated, filled with creative uses of constructs.

Unfortunately that’s not enough to make up for the groan-inducing dialogue and generally sloppy and cluttered narrative. While there are nods to the plots of the Justice League series, Beware My Power doesn’t offer the same tight writing. It also failed to learn from the strong Green Lantern: The Animated Series, which did a much better job at explaining the dense mythology behind the Green Lantern Corps.

Sometimes you just need a good cry, and what better way to encourage that than by watching some really, really sad anime? As fans of Japanese animation know, these devastatingly upsetting films and movies have been around for decades. Whether you need a refresher, are in the mood for something dark and moody, or just love heartbreak; this list is for you.

From sibling sadness to tragic romance, strangely melancholy sci-fi all the way through maudlin murder-mysteries, we've got a special kind of sadness for every taste. So grab a box of tissues and get ready to watch some really upsetting anime, because somehow heartbreak feels good in a list like this.

10. Flavors of Youth

Where to watch: Netflix

Nostalgia can be the most melancholy of feelings and Flavors of Youth captures that perfectly. This charmingly animated anthology is all about those exact vibes as the loosely interconnected stories explore the power of nostalgia through the lens of food. Clips from the first entry, The Rice Noodles, have been used in many-an-aesthetic TikTok post and will absolutely make you cry. Not to be outdone, though, the following two just build on the power of The Rice Noodles, offering up thoughtful, emotionally driven, and bittersweet tales to jerk your tears.

See our list of the best anime on Netflix for more like this.

9. Mirai

Where to watch: Netflix

Mamoru Hosoda is a beloved anime director and Mirai showcases his immense talent. This 2018 time-hopping family drama was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe, and it follows a young boy named Kun who begins to feel displaced by his baby sister, Mirai. After running away and stumbling upon a magical garden, Kun meets both his mother and Mirai at different stages in their life, allowing him to explore the world and his family in a new way. An inventive and thoughtful take on the family drama, Mirai is a sentimental fantasy that'll make you weep.

8. Your Lie in April

Where to watch: Hulu

Coming of age stories that deal with the realities of growing up are far more common in manga and anime storytelling, and Your Lie in April is a great example. A group of friends traverse growing up and all the struggles that come with it after one of them has a nervous breakdown. Each episode of this slice of life anime series offers ample crying time, especially as you grow to care about the characters and their journey into young adulthood. Moving and authentic, this is the sort of show we wished we had when we were teenagers. But at least we have it now!

7. Clannad

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Tomoya Okazaki is a disillusioned 17 year old. After losing his mother at a young age, his upbringing became abusive, making him unhappy with his life and hometown. Clannad follows him throughout his teenage years into young adulthood as he changes his life by helping a series of young women. This is the sort of tragic slice of life that'll keep you crying and make you want to look after its young cast with your life. Very big "I would die for them" energy here.

6. Your Name.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

One of the most well known sad anime of recent years, Makoto Shinkai's Your Name. took the world by storm when it was released in 2016. A romantic anime story about fate, this epic blockbuster tells the story of two teens who begin to mysteriously swap bodies. Fantastical in the best way, this is a twisty tale that'll pull at your heartstrings. Plus, Shinkai is a master of the visual landscape, so this is a truly astonishing feat of animation too.

5. Garden of Words

Where to watch: Apple TV

This sentimental story centers on the ups and downs of an unexpected friendship. When a teenager, Takao, skips school in order to work on his true passion – becoming a shoemaker – he bumps into the beautiful 27-year-old Yukari. Both head to the stunning Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, hoping to find solace. But instead they seem to always keep meeting on rainy solitary days. This is another pure vibes anime that's super easy to rewatch and will keep your emotions flowing through your tear ducts as you explore the strange and unexpected relationship between them.

4. Erased

Where to watch: Hulu

It's hard to make a tearjerker that's also an engaging murder mystery, but Erased does just that. Satoru Fujinuma has a secret. He wields a unique power that allows him to travel back to precise moments in time, but only in connection to life or death moments. When Satoru suffers a great personal tragedy, his powers kick into overdrive, sending him back to childhood where he must stop a horrific set of crimes that upended his life so many years ago. Grief, love, loss and friendship all come into play as this twisty time travel mystery unfurls before us.

3. Weathering With You

Where to watch: HBO Max

The second entry on our list from Makoto Shinkai, Weathering With You may not have replicated the global phenomenon of Your Name, but it's an incredibly worthy successor. And as you might have guessed by our ranking, it's also even more emotionally devastating. Escaping from his abusive home, Hodaka Morishima ends up on the streets of Tokyo. Soon he builds a found family including the enigmatic Hina, a girl with strange powers. This romantic coming of age tale is an enchanting climate change fable with some of the best animation you've ever seen.

2. A Silent Voice

Where to watch: Netflix

When it comes to contemporary anime there is likely none more emotional than A Silent Voice. This heart wrenching tale traverses bullying, suicidal ideation, and making amends all through the eyes of kids growing up and coming of age. When a young Deaf girl, Shoya, joins Shoko's sixth grade class, she quickly becomes the target of his bullying. But the tide turns after his treatment of Shoya is revealed, she's transferred, and he becomes a social outcast. Years later the pair cross paths again as Shoko tries to make amends for his cruel past.

1. Grave of the Fireflies

Where to watch: Vudu

Grave of the Fireflies might just be the most heartbreaking film ever made, so there was no other choice to top our saddest anime list. Isao Takahata's 1988 masterpiece is an affecting treatise on the horrors of war, told from the perspective of a pair of siblings in Japan during World War II. Suddenly alone after a nightmarish firebombing attack on their hometown, sincere and sweet Seita does his best to look after his younger sister Setsuko as the pair try to survive the wreckage of war with no adults to guide them. Their journey is one of love, grief, and devastating emotional heartache. Just as relevant and real as it was on release, this is a must watch, though many viewers can only take a single viewing because it's just that sad.

Although this movie wasn't directed by Miyazaki, it remains one of the best Studio Ghibli films of all time.

Rosie Knight is an Eisner-winning journalist, author and comics writer. She co-hosts Crooked Media’s X-Ray Vision podcast, discussing pop culture from superhero movies to prestige television to the best fantasy novels and, of course, comics.

The first trailer and poster for John Wick 4 were revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 and they tease some of the exciting battles Keanu Reeves will get into when this fourth entry arrives in theaters on March 24, 2023.

The trailer was shown after Keanu Reeves crashed Collider's Directors on Directing panel that featured John Wick 4 director Chad Stahelski.

John Wick, at the beginning of the footage, is asked by Hiroyuki Sanada's Shimazu if he has "given any thought to where this ends?" We are then treated to glimpses of Clancy Brown's currently unknown character that may serve as the main antagonist, Lance Riddick's Charon, Ian McShane's Winston, Bill Skarsgard's Marquis, Shamier Anderson's Tracker, Donnie Yen's Caine, and Laurence Fishburne's Bowery King.

He is then told that, "no one, not even you, can kill everyone." Clearly, Shimazu hasn't seen the previous three films.

The trailer follows the first-look image that shows John Wick amid a blur of candles, and now we have even more of an idea as to what this entry will look like.

Fans were also treated to the first poster for John Wick 4 that puts Keanu Reeves' John Wick, also known as Baba Yaga, front and center.

John Wick 3 – Parabellum was released in 2019 and, in our review, we said that it "pushes its title character to his breaking point and back while offering fresh information about his backstory. The action is bloody and over-the-top and the emotional throughline remains solid as we follow John Wick on his journey to either save his skin or die trying."

For more on San Diego Comic-Con, check out our roundup of everything announced so far!

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.