With 2021's What If...?, the Marvel Cinematic Universe made its first official foray into animation. At Comic-Con International in San Diego 2022, Marvel Studios head of streaming, television and animation Brad Winderbaum and head of visual development Ryan Meinerding talked teased the future of the company's offerings alongside special guests, promising first looks at X-Men '97, Marvel Zombies and What If...? Season 2 during the panel.

The panel began with The Watcher from What If...? welcoming attendees to the event. Paul F. Tompkins took the stage and served as moderator for the event. He soon welcomed out Winderbaum. Tompkins asked about the panel being Marvel Studios' first for animation. Winderbaum talked about how all of Marvel Studios' animation was really born out of What If...?, which was the only logical way to do that show. After doing What If...?, they wanted more animation. Winderbaum then talked about how animation was what got him into comics, and that it means "a lot of expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe into new areas, and animation is a great place to do that."

Next, Tompkins and Winderbaum welcomed Meinerding to the panel, showing off a sizzle reel of his various work with Marvel Studios before bringing him out. "The designs that he came up with are some of the most iconic looks in the MCU," Winderbaum said in the video. Various creatives behind Marvel Studios talked about Meinerding, praising his work.

Tompkins asked Meinerding about getting to work for Marvel Studios. He replied by saying that, in animation, they're able to use tools more akin to those used in comics to make them "come to life in a way that's maybe more powerful than the films." As for Meindering's approach, he said it's not much different from how he goes about doing live-action work.

The rest of the animation creative teams came out, and Kirsten Lepore talked about I Am Groot, saying it will deal with different points of the titular character's life, looking at normal and key childhood moments through a sci-fi lens. She was inspired by her son for the show. Tompkins asked if there would be Guardians of the Galaxy Easter eggs, and she confirmed Bradley Cooper would appear. Additional familiar faces and characters will also appear in the show.

The panel shared a trailer for I Am Groot. In the trailer, Groot sees a bunch of miniature aliens and ends up fighting with them. However, once he loses a leaf, they begin celebrating him. The show streams Aug. 10 on Disney+. The panel then showed "Groot Takes a Bath," one of the episodes of the series. It had an irregular Marvel Studios credit sequence that was fast-forwarded. The episode sees Groot wearing a variety of costumes thanks to a bath that allows him to grow leaves. This angers a local animal.

Tompkins asked Lepore what was next for her. She revealed they were working on five more I Am Groot shorts.

Conversation turned to Jeff Trammell and Spider-Man: Freshman Year. He said he was excited to do the project and said he grew up watching the '90s animated series and has re-watched a number of the other shows. "We are bringing all the heart and charm and fun of Peter Parker to this series, and we couldn't be more excited for you guys to see it," he said. Trammell then showed the design for Peter Parker and his suit pre-Civil War. Additional art showed off Nico Minoru from Runaways. Lonnie Lincoln, Amadeus Cho, Pearl Pangan, Jean Foucault and Harry Osborn will be in the show. The show will focus on who Peter is and how he becomes Spider-Man. The show will feature villains the Unicorn, Chameleon, Scorpion, Speed Demon, Tarantula, the Rhino, Butane, Carmela Black and Otto Octavius. Peter will get a number of allies to help him in his battle, including Doctor Strange and Daredevil. Charlie Cox will reprise his role as Daredevil in the show. Norman Osborn will serve as Peter's mentor in the show, which will shape who he becomes as Spider-Man. There was also a tease about a major character, though who was not immediately revealed. Art then showed off several suits for Spider-Man.

A new character named Bentley Wittman will appear in the show. He'll be voiced by Tompkins. He'll appear in both Seasons 1 and 2. The second season will be called Spider-Man: Sophmore Year. Freshman Year drops in 2024.

Conversation turned to AC Bradley and What If...?. Bradley said her question when joining the project was what the biggest stories she could tell were, she said that she's excited to play with genre and character in Season 2. Bryan Andrews also chimed in saying the experience of working on Season 2 was "amazing" and teased them taking the world in a way that people wouldn't expect. Winderbaum shared that Bradley and Andrews showed him the ropes when it came to animation.

A preview of What If...? Season 2 was then shared. "We keep pushing the envelope of what's possible in the multiverse," Andrews said, setting up the clip. In the footage, Black Widow, Peggy Carter/Captain Carter and Steve Rogers end up in a village filled with robots. Hela also returns. In addition to Ego. Black Panther/T'Challa also comes in, though there's no voice in the trailer. There's a trip to Sakaar. And a Mad Max style sequence in which racers deal with a deadly track. Iron Man arrives on Sakaar, and there are alterations of Shang-Chi and Infinity War. Odin ends up fighting Wenwu.

Meinerding talked about how fun doing What If...? is, as it requires twisting and playing with characters. Andrews addressed Captain Carter and seeing her in live-action. "It was pretty awesome," he said. "It was great. [...] We love the fact she was able to come back to our show. She loves the character; she is the character." He notes that the version of the character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was "not our Captain Carter," though, as she wouldn't have gone down to Scarlet Witch. They also announced What If...? Season 3.

Andrews said they decided to create a Marvel Zombies spinoff because of people loving the episode and the show's cliffhanger ending. Zeb Wells is writing the project, and Andrews praised his work. Meinerding said working on the zombies in the first season "was one of the best parts of that season." The zombies were then shown off through art. One included Hawkeye, a Captain America who was cut in half, Abomination, Ghost, Scarlet Witch and Captain Marvel. Additionally, Okoye appears as a zombie. The heroes in Marvel Zombies will be Yelena Belova, Katy from Shang-Chi, Kate Bishop, Red Guardian, Jimmy Woo, Death Dealer, Shang-Chi and Kamala Khan. Khan will play a big role in the series. The show will introduce a post-apocalyptic Widows team, a Skrull biker gang and a zombified Ikaris from the Eternals.

Winderbaum addressed X-Men: The Animated Series. The segment started with a look back at the show's legacy. Various cast and crew involved with the project talked about how the show made people feel included and how loved it's become and why. The subject turned to the new season, and the actors praised the upcoming show.

Beau DeMayo addressed the legacy of the show and balancing that with making a show that feels fresh and new. "Lots of therapy," he joked. "It has an immense legacy," he said. "Especially since the X-Men are back at the only mansion that counts, Marvel Studios. This is going to be their first project since acquiring the rights back, which is in itself such a blessing." He described the show as a "team effort" and said his crew was "his X-Men." Eric and Julia Lewald as well as Larry Houston were in the audience and received a standing ovation from the panelists. "The MCU probably wouldn't exist without the show you made," DeMayo told them.

As for who is coming back, DeMayo joked that who lives and dies would be based on applause. Rogue, Beast, Gambit, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Storm, Jubilee and Cyclops will all return. "This show is what taught me to be who I am," DeMayo said. "For better or worse, the X-Men are timeless, and the world still has a lot to learn from them." The revival will explore whether Xavier's dream is still relevant today. Additionally, Cable and Bishop will appear alongside Forge. There will be two new additions to the team: Nightcrawler and Sunspot.

Magneto will return in a new costume, and whether or not he will be a villain was made ambiguous. Magneto will lead the X-Men. The Hellfire Club will also appear. Val Cooper will play a big role in the X-Men revival's story. Mister Sinister will also appear and serve as a major villain, challenging the X-Men to "face the future."

DeMayo revealed that the episodes aren't totally finished, but a look at an animatic for the show was shown. The early animation saw Cyclops facing off against Trask and the Sentinels alongside the X-Men. They successfully defeat the Sentinels. Beast gets into a Sentinel and controls it from within. The classic theme song played over the footage. DeMayo revealed Disney+ has re-arranged the episode order so that Jean Grey no longer just mysteriously returns after the "Dark Phoenix Saga." He also teased a number of mysteries from the original being addressed. The show will return for a second season.

To close the panel, a full episode of What If...? Season 2 was shown. "What If Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper" was the name of the episode. It deals with the return of Steve Rogers in the Hydra Stomper armor. However, like Winter Soldier before him, he's working against them. The episode mixes Captain America: The Winter Soldier with elements of Black Widow.