When San Diego Comic-Con launched in 1970, it was a niche convention for about 300 fans. In the decades that have followed, it has, of course, become a mandatory stop for the biggest franchises in Hollywood, from the universes of Marvel and DC to Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings. But after years of movies and TV (and top actors) taking center stage and propelling the event to new heights, 2023 will be the least star-packed Comic-Con in more than a decade.
This week, SAG-AFTRA announced that actors will be joining the writers guild on picket lines, as Hollywood faces yet another shutdown amid a historic double strike. Already, most Hollywood majors, including Disney, Warner Bros., Sony, Universal, Netflix and HBO, chose to sit out Comic-Con this year, due to prior strike uncertainty and financial stress on studio travel budgets.
With actors now confirmed to be out for the count, the convention’s lineup takes yet another hit with a slew of previously announced panels now canceled, including Legendary, which was secretly planning to bring Dune: Part Two. Also canceled: panels for TV shows such as Amazon’s Wheel of Time, Freevee’s Jury Duty and ABC’s Abbott Elementary.
This year also marks the first time since 2011 that at least one of the two biggest comic-to-film franchisees — Marvel and DC — won’t be holding court in the 6,500-capacity Hall H.
“This is obviously an unusual year,” says Comic-Con spokesperson David Glanzer. “But that hasn’t diminished the anticipation for Comic-Con.”
Indeed, badges sold out months ahead of the event as attendees vie for tickets long before panels are even announced. While Hall H stops from Marvel or DC have generated the biggest headlines, only a small portion of the estimated 150,000 attendees each year ever set foot in that space, which requires camping out in line overnight to get inside. In other words, plenty of the faithful go for smaller panels and a chance to show off their best cosplay.
Some major presentations will continue on without actors, including Paramount Animation’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (July 20, 11:30 a.m.), which may feature a presentation from director Jeff Rowe.
After the Oscar-winning success of RRR, the big-budget Project K (July 20, 1 p.m.) hopes to build on that momentum by becoming the first Indian project to hit Hall H. Collider also will host a Hall H “Directors on Directing” panel (July 21, 11 a.m.) with such helmers as Deadpool 2‘s David Leitch, Haunted Mansion‘s Justin Simien and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story‘s Gareth Edwards, who is expected to show footage from The Creator.
On the TV side, panels still on the docket include a two-and-a-half-hour look at AMC’s Walking Dead franchise (July 21, 1 p.m.) and a Star Trek presentation (July 22, 1:30 p.m.) for that universe’s three Paramount+ shows.
FX will promote the fifth season of What We Do in the Shadows (July 20, 4:30 p.m.), and Peacock will show off its new Anthony Mackie action-comedy series Twisted Metal (July 20, 3:15 p.m.). Despite canceling their The Wheel of Time panel, Prime Video will still be promoting the Steven Yeun-starring series Invincible, with a panel (July 21, 5:45 p.m.) and season-two screening (July 21, 10 p.m.). Starz also plans to present its John Wick spinoff series, The Continental (July 21, 3 p.m.).
Months after co-creator and star Justin Roiland was fired from Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty and Hulu’s Solar Opposites, (July 21, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.), though Roiland is not expected.
Some of these panels might have gotten modest attention in years past, but now they have a chance to break through this year, including films not made by companies party to the SAG-AFTRA agreement. Notes one actor-filmmaker, who is bringing footage from a new film amid this year’s unusual landscape, “I might as well go all out.”
This story first appeared in the July 14 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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