First, let's point out the key non-Marvel highlights from the five-day event. To name a few: The Witcher footage looks really good; it was great finally seeing new Rick and Morty scenes; Aaron Paul was charming as ever as he forced the Westworld team to show their new game-changing trailer early in their panel because he was so excited to see it. Among SDCC's most notable parties was the fourth-annual IMDboat Party, with guests including Kelsey Grammer and Comic-Con mainstay Kevin Smith. 

And now, let's get to Marvel. Playboy managing editor Gil Macias and senior editor Ryan Gajewski attended the panel, and they had plenty of thoughts on all the notable moments, including Mahershala Ali as Blade, Tessa Thompson and Natalie Portman teasing plot points from the new Thor film and Scarlett Johansson sharing footage from her upcoming Black Widow. Here are their takeaways. (A few general Marvel spoilers are ahead.)

Ryan Gajewski: Clearly, the most anticipated panel at this year’s Comic-Con was the Marvel one on Saturday night, especially given that they skipped SDCC last year. Without a doubt, their surprise-packed presentation was the highlight of the Con for me, and I’m sure it was for you too, given that you’re such a fan of the comics. So, what was your favorite moment of the panel?

Gil Macias: Oh, Marvel for sure brought the house down and delivered more than any fan could ask for. Where do I even begin? Since I am a diehard fan of the Vision, I think I am most excited for the WandaVision project coming to Disney+. Finding out that Vision is back after the events of Endgame has me insanely curious. Kevin Feige also hinted that the show will be very "weird," which means they're likely going to explore the bizarre and fantastical side of Scarlet Witch and her powers. I also really hope they start calling her "Scarlet Witch" versus "Wanda" now that Disney bought out Fox and owns the X-Men rights.

Also, hearing that a grown-up Monica Rambeau will have a lead role in that same show has me very excited. Comic books fans all know that she once carried the Captain Marvel title and was also known as Photon and Pulsar, and she has ties to the Avengers and another group called the Thunderbolts. Where will Marvel go with her? There are so many options and I'm dying to find out.

Ryan Gajewski: Yes, speaking of Fox, it was exciting to know that Fantastic Four is indeed on the way, although it would have been nice to hear a bit more about that.

Gil Macias: There's so much more to geek out about: Natalie Portman back in the Marvel world as Lady Thor, the real Mandarin and the Ten Rings finally coming to us in Shang-Chi, two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali as Blade! Although, that last one is a bit of a head-scratcher since Ali played Cottonmouth in Netflix's Luke Cage, which was supposedly part of the MCU canon. Makes me wonder if Marvel will now brush those shows off!

Ryan Gajewski: It definitely is a testament to the level of surprises that Marvel delivered that they could save maybe the biggest shocker of the night—Mahersala reviving Blade—for the final 10 seconds of the panel. And he didn’t even have to say anything to make the crowd explode with cheers—all he had to do was put on that Blade cap. Well played, Marvel.

The Mahershala reveal is probably the moment that brought me the biggest smile, although it’s a little hard to imagine a Snipes-free Blade, not to mention that it's unclear whether Disney will make this R-rated. My other big highlight was everything related to Thor 4, especially since Ragnarok is maybe my favorite MCU movie of Phase Three. Portman’s appearance was a huge curveball, considering she has distanced herself from the franchise in recent years. And then Tessa Thompson revealing that Valkyrie gets a female love interest, making the character the first LGBTQ hero in the MCU films, was an incredibly powerful moment. Plus, who is going to complain about getting to see Taika Waititi and Chris Hemsworth holding hands. How are you feeling about the new Thor?

Gil Macias: After Ragnarok, I think I have high hopes and expectations for Thor: Love and Thunder. First of all, that title is electrifying. It's so rock 'n' roll, so I'm betting it'll have the same vibe as Ragnarok, which is never a bad thing. If they go for that 1980s fantasy feel again, I am so there! All the same ingredients for success are there: Taika, Hemsworth, Valkyrie and now we have Portman back in the mix, so I am betting lightning will strike twice.

I think going the Lady Thor route was a smart move, and it's probably what lured Portman back. And with Loki still lurking out there somewhere, thanks to the reveal that there is indeed a Multiverse at play, just imagine if they find a clever way to being the God of Mischief back into the mix? I'm excited for that Disney+ show as well.

Ryan Gajewski: It forever fascinates me to see the level of audience adoration for Loki. I loved Tom Hiddleston encouraging the crowd to keep that “Loki” chat going.

Gil Macias: The screams for Hiddleston when he walked on out to the stage were deafening. Loki is without a doubt one of the best comic book movie villains of all time, up there with DC's Joker. I don't think he'll be going away any time soon.

Ryan Gajewski: Was there anything from the panel that didn’t impress you? I was a bit ho-hum about the first Doctor Strange film, so it’s hard for me to care about a follow-up, although I imagine that will change. And the idea of a horror sequel makes me a tad iffy about whether they can nail the tone. Clearly, trying to go the horror route hasn’t worked out so well for New Mutants.

Gil Macias: I might sound like a biased Marvel fanboy here, but I can't say I was underwhelmed by much at all. The reveal that the events of WandaVision will tie in to the next Doctor Strange amped up the hype for me. I mean, what a pairing … Scarlet Witch teaming with the Sorcerer Supreme? Sold!

Ryan Gajewski: Fair enough!

Gil Macias: And I am intrigued by the Multiverse, which that movie will clearly explore. I wasn't too wild about the idea of a prequel Black Widow movie, though. I mean, it's not going to progress the overall MCU storyline much. She's dead, after what went down in Endgame … but then Marvel proved me wrong when they showed that trailer and extended fight scene, and goddamn, that fight choreography was bone-crunching and spectacular. So now I feel that I must see this Black Widow movie.

Ryan Gajewski: Yep, that footage was pretty thrilling. Luckily, we have to wait less than a year for that one. If only the same could be said for everything else.