It’s that time of year again, when dorks unite in San Diego to celebrate everything geek culture. That’s right, it’s Comic Con. Though it feels different now than it used to, in large part because the sheer dominance of Hall H, where movie studios and TV networks hawk their flashiest ware, has been reduced somewhat after years of films that hit big at Comic Con went on to box office failure.
Twilight tricked everyone into thinking that Comic Con popularity equaled box office dollars, and we basically spent the entirety of the 2010s learning that’s not true. But after years of pandemic and strike-related delays and cancellations, this is the first “normal” Comic Con in five years, and it is expected to bring a lot of geek news over the next few days. Here’s what to keep an eye on.
Marvel is hosting not one but two presentations in Hall H. Tonight, they’re highlighting Deadpool & Wolverine with a “celebration of life” that is basically a victory parade to kick off what is sure to be a monster box office weekend. But before that, there is a panel for What We Do in the Shadows as it heads into its final season, which for me is the real highlight of the Thursday schedule.
Friday starts off with a Prime Video block for The Boys and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, there’s also a double-header for The Walking Dead and its spin-off universe that refuses to die just like a real zombie, and then Alien: Romulus gets the evening slot.
But Saturday is the big day in Hall H. Keanu Reeves’ comic book and soon to be Netflix film BRZRKR has a panel at 12:30, which means Keanu in the house, for sure. This is his baby, and we should hear some details about the live-action adaptation of the comic, in which he is expected to star. Keanu always brings the house down. There’s a Star Trek panel, and Entertainment Weekly’s usual mid-afternoon slot that they devote to female and non-binary figures in the entertainment industry, and then The Batman spin-off The Penguin has a panel, too. DC Studios isn’t hosting a panel except for this one.
And then, of course, there is Marvel’s panel Saturday night. They also have their own in-house fan convention, D23, happening in a couple weeks, so it’s a question of what they bring to Comic Con, and what they save for D23. Based on precedent, everyone is assuming Comic Con will be film-focused, while D23 focuses more on Disney+. That means we might see new footage from Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* (which wrapped earlier this summer), and maybe even something from Fantastic Four, but that is only just beginning production in London, so I have no idea what they would have to show us beyond like, concept art. They have made a meal out of concept art in the past, though, so I’m not counting it out. After the last couple years, expect Marvel to pull out all the stops to convince everyone that they have everything under control.
Over in Ballroom 20, meanwhile, the home of television, the schedule looks comparatively light. The highlight is on Saturday evening, for anyone who doesn’t care about Marvel there’s a supersized panel for the “Anne Rice Universe”, featuring talent from Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches.
Overall, there’s less investment in sending talent to San Diego (expensive), and more on “activations”, or pop-ups that fans can interact with for photo ops and merchandise, such as FX’s replica sets for Paddy’s Pub from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the restaurant from The Bear, and the creepy house from What We Do in the Shadows. Building those kinds of sets is also expensive, but not as expensive as accommodating VVIP talent for a night or two. After a decade of excess, Comic Con, especially Hall H, seems to be deflating a little. I hope it survives as a mecca for nerds to gather and celebrate being nerds, but I’m fine with the marketing machine of Hall H losing its chokehold on pop culture. Unless Marvel gets their way, in which case, we’ll be doing this for the next hundred years.
Here are Deadpool & Wolverine stars Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, and Emma Corrin at Jimmy Kimmel Live! yesterday.
