Comic-Con isn’t what it used to be. The annual San Diego-hosted hotspot for all things comic book-related was once the official house of all things proudly nerdy and gleefully geeky, but it hasn’t hosted the same reputation it once held. The lines are long. The heat can be unbearable. The walking is endless. The bathrooms are fleeting (and disgusting). And it’s sometimes hard to justify all the time and labor spent on the weeklong trip — especially when there’s a better-than-decent chance the footage or panels you are watching will soon be available (or, more likely, leaked) for anyone and everyone to watch online. Plus, now that Disney has D23 and other studios are less inclined to make the trip and put on a teasing panel, the lure for movie fans isn’t quite the same as it was even three or four years ago.
Nevertheless, Comic-Con is still a spectacle. When it comes to costumes, signings, meet-ups and more, it’s hard to beat the sheer adrenaline that pulsates throughout the frantic, sweaty, invigorating intense and excitement of all, radiating from the hallowed halls of Hall H and beyond. It’s not quite the comics-centralized enclosement that it used to be, nor is it the pinpoint of nerdom it was before. But Comic-Con rests somewhere in-between: it’s still a super event, and the mega-center for eager fandom, but it has cooled itself down, in many ways, and it is gradually returning to its roots. Today, we’ve narrowed down the selection to let you know where to divide your attention. Because while you can’t catch everything, there are some things that you don’t want to miss.
On that note, here are 10 panels and special events to watch out for during this year’s Comic-Con coverage.
READ MORE: James Wan’s ‘Aquaman’ Looks To Build A New World In The DC Universe [CinemaCon Report]
1. Aquaman and DC Films
The biggest absence at this year’s Comic-Con will undoubtedly be Marvel Studios. They opted not to make a big Hall H appearance this year, and the most we’ll see from them is from Sony’s Spider-Man centric panel later in the week. Therefore, DC is stepping up to the plate and filling in their absence. And in doing so, they’ll take this pivotal time to drum up hype for “Aquaman,” which needs to get viewers excited for the DCEU again after the gigantic flop that was “Justice League.” The James Wan-directed stand-alone movie has only released a poster and a couple stills to the public thus far, but the promotional train is going to be a rollin’ out this week in full force, and the first stop is Comic-Con. James Wan promised the first trailer will drop there, and Jason Momoa and the cast are expected to be attendance for the upcoming show.
READ MORE: The Plausibility Issues ‘Aquaman’ Is Already Raising Are Maddening
Additionally, there’s a good chance that viewers might be seeing their first glimpses at “Shazam!” this forthcoming weekend, too. If it’s not a trailer, then it’s at least a sneak peek at the movie, which will be hitting theaters on April 5th. It might be the same footage that premiered at Cinemacon a few months earlier, but we’re optimistic that what they’re going to show us is going to be worth it. Also, we shouldn’t expect to see anything from “Wonder Woman 1984,” since Patty Jenkins is still shooting the movie with Gal Gadot and Chris Pine at the moment, but we might get a quick hello from the cast and crew during a break in shooting in Washington D.C. Or some kind of brief teaser clip?
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There’s also the very distinct possibilities of more D.C. Films official announcement. Todd Philips untitled ‘Joker‘ movie starring Joaquin Phoenix is shooting this fall so it seems more than likely that WB/DC Films will announce the film officially, perhaps reveal the title and likely reveal the name of the banner under which the film will fall to denote its separation from the current DCEU continuity. Additionally, Margot Robbie‘s Harley Quinn “Suicide Squad” spin-off movie “Birds Of Prey” shoots in January according to the actress, so that’s another announcement possibility. There are dozens of other DC film in development, “Green Lantern Corps,” “The Flash,” “Suicide Squad 2” and more, and while we doubt announcements for those films, who knows, wishful thinking?
https://twitter.com/ThePlaylist/status/1006896289257218052
2. Deadpool 2: More 20th Century Fox Superheroes?
As crazy as it might seem, it was only a month-and-a-half ago when “Deadpool 2” stormed its way into theaters. Ryan Reynolds’ return to the Merc with a Mouth didn’t make quite the same splash as the first film, but it certainly has its fans, and then some, and they’ll be eager to see the irreverent anti-hero return to his usual antics — especially among his most adoring supporters. The fun will begin with a “Deadpool 2” panel in Hall H on Saturday, June 21st, where Deadpool and his trusted team will be on hand to break fourth walls and bust some balls. Then later that day, they’ll have the world premiere of the extended cut of their new sequel, “Deadpool 2: Super Duper $@%!#& Cut,” which is expected to contain even more foul-mouthed antics than they were allowed to squeeze into the two-hour theatrical cut. Expect a lot of raunchiness.
But is that all we can expect from the X-Men at this year’s Comic-Con? Possibly, but we’re also open to a surprise. “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” and “The New Mutants” are Fox’s X-Men offerings for next year, and we haven’t seen much of either beyond an initial teaser for the latter all the way back in October of last year, when the horror-centric teen superhero film was expected to debut in April of this year (it was subsequently pushed back to February of next year before settling into its current August 2nd, 2019 release date). We can’t guarantee either film will be showcased, but we also wouldn’t rule out a surprise possibility. More than likely, though, Fox will likely use this Deadpool-centric opportunity to make an official announcement about their often-teased “X-Force” film, as Comic-Con would be the perfect place to spill the beans. Also, maybe we’ll get a “Gambit” announcement of some sort? Seems quite unlikely, though.
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3. Sony Spider-verse: Venom, Miles Morales and More?
Sony isn’t afraid to let Comic-Con know that — while they lease out Spider-Man to the MCU — the red-suited neighborhood web-slinger is still very much their property. And they’re looking to keep it that way too (mainly because, well, that’s their biggest source of income, particularly among their wealth of flops and recent underperformers). Beyond Tom Holland’s stellar, plucky, heartfelt work with Tony Stark and the Avengers gang, Sony is releasing two brand new movies that come straight from the Marvel comics. And they’re sewn separately. The first film is “Venom,” the (reportedly) R-rated blockbuster that turns one of Spidey’s biggest, dastardly foes into a straight-up “anti-hero” with Tom Hardy tackling the black goo-covered title character. We have already seen a teaser and an official trailer from director Ruben Fleischer’s upcoming film, but there’s a good chance we’ll see even more footage at this year’s festivities.
And we’re most certainly looking to get some more dazzling footage from the upcoming Sony Pictures Animation film, “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse,” which comes from producers Phil Lord (who also wrote the screenplay) and Chris Miller, in their first project since the whole “Solo” fiasco. The footage we have seen from the Miles Morales-centered Spider-Man film has been quick to impress, notably for its beautifully vibrant 2D/CG-combo animation, and we’re hoping the new footage displayed is even more stunning and exhilarating.
Meanwhile, should we expect to see or hear anything from “Spider-Man: Far From Home?” Likely not, since those who saw “Avengers: Infinity War” know that Peter Parker’s current situation is —shall we say — in a bit of a state of flux. It would be almost impossible to show anything from ‘Far From Home’ that isn’t a spoiler for the upcoming sequel. If they don’t show anything of that sort, though, there’s a chance Tom Holland might still make a surprise appearance at the panel —even though the rest of the MCU has decided not to appear this year.
The band's back together: @TomHolland1996, @Zendaya, @TonyRevolori and Jacob Batalon, plus newcomer @harryjgilby, are back for filming SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME!
(via @harryjgilby's IG) pic.twitter.com/pZgzh7zx0Y
— MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) July 15, 2018
