For just about every year since the introduction of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2008’s Iron Man, Marvel Studios president and producer Kevin Feige has brought countless untold delights to the San Diego Comic-con audience, and this Saturday was no exception with the Captain America: The Winter Soldier panel. The Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick moderated the Marvel panel.

Feige noted that footage is about a week away from completion and then introduced directors Joe & Anthony Russo, SHIELD newcomers Frank Grillo and Emily VanCamp, (returning SHIELD agent Maria Hill) Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson (the Falcon), Sebastian Stan, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, and of course returning as Captain America/Steve Rogers, Chris Evans.

Evans said he’s feeling more comfortable putting the Cap suit back on and is satisfied that Marvel knows what they’re doing. He thinks Captain America is still struggling with societal differences between the clear-cut villains of the ’40s and modern threats, who compromise personal freedoms. Johansson said Black Widow is integral to the plot of Winter Soldier, and she feels that Romanoff and Rogers now have a shorthand, a relationship built up from many missions, and the film allows a chance to see the civilian side of Natasha. Johanssen described the film as “gritty” and as having a lot of fighting. Evans says their characters’ relationships are like an odd couple.

Jackson said that Nick Fury considers the Avengers as co-workers, subordinates, tools sometimes, and Fury shares a relationship with Captain America in that they’re both soldiers. Fury has a good idea of what’s going on around him, but his paranoia often causes him to use back channels to confirm the evil people are up to.

Stan (Bucky/Winter Soldier) is happy this story is being told, and confirmed the surprise of the film is when Cap’n discovers that the Winter Soldier was his old buddy Bucky Barnes. Anthony Mackie described his character Sam Wilson/The Falcon, as “having wings and guns, handing’ out business.” Feige said he hired the Russos on their impressive past accomplishments in television and film. The Russos agreed that this project is the best they’ve ever had.

Feige presented a clip in which Captain America is ambushed in a glass elevator by several thugs, yet handily dispatches them all in a badass battle. Also featured in a montage of scenes from the film was Robert Redford as the President of the United States, and impressive footage of the massive Helicarrier crashing into the ocean.

Smulders said in the film, SHIELD is trying to find its place in the new post-aliens post-Avengers world. VanCamp was intimidated at first playing new character Agent 13, along with Frank Grillo, but neither of them can reveal too much about their characters at this time.

Panel Photos

Captain America: The Winter Soldier hits theaters on April 4, 2014.

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All photos by Dave3 for Geeks of Doom