Following on from the world premiere screening of Marvel’s new post-Avengers short, Item 47 in San Diego last night, there was a brief Q&A with the film’s director, Marvel co-president Louis D’Esposito, and some of his cast and crew. Fans lined up to ask questions about various topics, including the construction of the titular weapon’s prop. But talk naturally turned to the future of the Avengers, with one very definite statement made: don’t expect to see Spider-Man in a future Avengers films.

While the company has usually hedged its bets or demurred in the past, this time the answer was a little more definitive, at least for the foreseeable future and certainly while the rights to Peter Parker, currently portrayed on screen by Andrew Garfield, are held by Sony.

But while that might have been disappointing for some in the audience, there was a much more positive reaction to a question about a topic most here at the convention expect to be answered come Saturday’s panel for Iron Man 3: Ant-Man. While D’Esposito and his team didn’t give away anything certain, Q&A moderator Anthony Breznican did drop word that we should “wait until tomorrow.”

So there you have it. Our money is still on Hot Fuzz / Scott Pilgrim director Edgar Wright making a surprise appearance to announce the official green light for Ant-Man (even if it’ll have to wait while he shoots The World’s End), plus word on other potential future Marvel movies, including Guardians Of The Galaxy and Black Panther.

Empire will of course be in Hall H for the panel tomorrow, so watch this space. Or another space on the site. One that will have a story about whatever Marvel announces...