During a live Q&A on Facebook last weekend, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn stated that he won't be at San Diego Comic-Con this year. However, he also let slip that Marvel Studios won't be making an appearance there either. To dispel any doubts, he confirmed on Twitter that his comment wasn't doublespeak:

"@starglooms: @JamesGunn @DrunkenShots guys, he could be lying" I have never lied about anything to the fans, ever. — James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 7, 2015

We've reached out to Marvel for comment.

That Marvel Studios won't have a presence at SDCC, the biggest annual event in comics, comes as something of a surprise. This year already promises big box offices draws for Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man, and fans might have expected more news on how Kevin Feige's team plans to cast Spider-Man for Phase Three. That said, Marvel may be pulling a Microsoft by stepping out of this year's event, especially after setting a precedent by holding its own movie event last fall. Now that superhero movies rule Hollywood, why share the spotlight?