Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam.
Courtesy Of Warner Bros. Pictures
The last time San Diego Comic-Con held an in-person convention, there was a different president and no one had heard of Baby Yoda. After the COVID-19 pandemic stalled the 2020 effort and forced 2021’s event into an entirely virtual — and Marvel Studios-less — endeavor, the beloved fan convention will return to what organizers hope is something reminiscent of the glory days. Here, some of the most anticipated announcements and reveals headed to the San Diego Convention Center.
MARVEL STUDIOS Kevin Feige’s studio consistently reigns supreme at Comic-Con, with its star-packed (and highly secretive) Saturday evening panels considered the high point of the entire convention circuit. This year, the MCU has a number of big titles to tout, including Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 — and the panel will almost certainly include teases about the MCU’s future.
PRIME VIDEO Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, billed as most expensive show in TV history, will bring never-before-scene footage from the world of J.R.R. Tolkien to Hall H, led by showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, on Friday, July 22.
WARNER BROS. Never one to let the MCU get all the glory, DC will bring its own thunder to Hall H on Saturday, July 23, with Dwayne Johnson offering a look at his antihero flick Black Adam, and Shazam! sequel Fury of the Gods (starring Zachary Levi, Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu) also showing up. Decidedly missing is The Flash, fronted by the embattled Ezra Miller (Warners says it is not yet touting 2023 films, though in years past it has shown footage of projects as far as 16 months away from release).
HBO Game of Thrones was a regular at Hall H, and now the prequel House of the Dragon is picking up the mantle on Saturday for an extensive look at the highly anticipated series, accompanied by an interactive experience featuring a ceremonial dragon-hatching, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade.
House of the Dragon stars Milly Alcock (left) and Emily Carey
Courtesy of Ollie Upton/HBO
PARAMOUNT Three years ago, Tom Cruise surprised Comic-Con with the first trailer for the now- billion-dollar-grossing film Top Gun: Maverick. This year, the studio brings Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, the adaptation of the popular role-playing game, starring Chris Pine.
APPLE TV+ The streamer takes its first trip to the Con with a full lineup of panels — the most notable being the Emmy-nominated Severance, with executive producer Ben Stiller and castmembers Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Dichen Lachman and Jen Tullock participating.
NETFLIX The pricey Sandman series will conjure up stars and producers for the adaptation of the seminal DC comic. The Hall H panel comes weeks ahead of the Aug. 5 debut of the series, starring Tom Sturridge and Gwendoline Christie.
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS
FX and THR host a party for the well-regarded Taika Waititi-produced series — season four debuted July 12 — on July 22 at Meze, in the Gaslamp Quarter.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER
Prime Video’s Dwarven mine’s worth of spending continues with a secretive Thursday night soiree featuring the cast and creators.
PARAMOUNT+, FANDOM AND Z COMICS
The July 21 bash at the Hard Rock Hotel’s Float bar promises experiences from Halo, Beavis and Butt-Head and the Star Trek universe. Trek fans can also check out 10 Forward for drinks and props in the Gaslamp Quarter.
This story first appeared in the July 20 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.