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  • San Diego Comic-Con 2025: George Lucas Museum

    George Lucas seen at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art panel at Comic-Con International 2025 at San Diego Convention Center on July 27, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Eric Charbonneau / Lucas Museum of Narrative Art via Getty Images.
    George Lucas seen at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art panel at Comic-Con International 2025 at San Diego Convention Center on July 27, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Eric Charbonneau / Lucas Museum of Narrative Art via Getty Images.

    Preview:

    • George Lucas made his first trip to the San Diego Comic-Con.
    • He was on a panel with Guillermo del Toro and designer Doug Chiang.
    • Queen Latifah was the moderator.

    Given his legendary status as an iconic creator of cinematic stalwarts such as the ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ movies, it’s perhaps a little shocking that George Lucas hasn’t been to the San Diego Comic-Con.

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    All that changed today when Lucas made a rare public appearance and took over Hall H for a panel to celebrate his new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. He took to the stage with fellow filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and Lucasfilm Executive Designer Director Doug Chiang (who has worked on ‘Star Wars’ and so much more) for a panel moderated by Queen Latifah.

    Related Article: Every Indiana Jones Movie, Ranked!

    What is the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art?

    Oscar®-nominated writer/director/producer George Lucas speaks as part of the award presentation to Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient Angelina Jolie during the 2013 Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA, on Saturday, November 16, 2013. Credit/Provider: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
    Oscar®-nominated writer/director/producer George Lucas speaks as part of the award presentation to Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient Angelina Jolie during the 2013 Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA, on Saturday, November 16, 2013. Credit/Provider: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

    The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is a first-of-its-kind institution dedicated to illustrated storytelling across time, cultures, and media.

    Co-founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the museum’s collection features works by artists including Norman Rockwell, Kadir Nelson, Jessie Willcox Smith, N. C. Wyeth, Beatrix Potter, Judy Baca, Frida Kahlo, and Maxfield Parrish; as well as comic art legends such as Winsor McCay, Jack Kirby, Frank Frazetta, Alison Bechdel, Chris Ware, and R. Crumb, plus photographers Gordon Parks, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Dorothea Lange.

    The museum also houses the Lucas Archive, containing models, props, concept art, and costumes from Lucas’s filmmaking career.

    What happened at the George Lucas panel?

    (L to R) Queen Latifah, George Lucas, Guillermo del Toro and Doug Chiang seen at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art panel at Comic-Con International 2025 at San Diego Convention Center on July 27, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Eric Charbonneau / Lucas Museum of Narrative Art via Getty Images.
    (L to R) Queen Latifah, George Lucas, Guillermo del Toro and Doug Chiang seen at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art panel at Comic-Con International 2025 at San Diego Convention Center on July 27, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Eric Charbonneau / Lucas Museum of Narrative Art via Getty Images.

    Lucas unsurprisingly got a standing ovation as he took the stage to talk up his new museum.

    Part of his impetus for building the museum was a place to store some of his own huge art collection.

    This is what Lucas had to say about art:

    “It’s a temple to the people’s art. Art is more about a connection and emotional connection with the work, not how much it cost or what celebrity did it. I don’t think it’s anything anyone will tell you. If you have emotional connection, it’s art. If you don’t, just move onto the next painting.”

    Among the exclusive items hosted at the museum? The very first character drawing of Flash Gordon from 1934, ‘Peanuts’ comic sketches from the 50s & 60s, original drawings from the first ‘Iron Man’ comic and some original ink art of ‘Black Panther’.

    For del Toro’s part, he revealed that art his own extensive art collection survived the LA wildfires earlier this year, he’ll be housing a lot of it at the museum.

    The panel wrapped up with a sizzle reel narrated by ‘Star Wars’ prequel star Samuel L. Jackson, which previewed some of the prolific works attendees can expect, i.e. General Grievous’ bike and the land speeder from the original ‘Star Wars’.

    Many of the ‘Star Wars’ pieces of art, in particular those from concept artist Ralph McQuarrie, will be housed in the cinema gallery, one of 30-40 galleries at the museum.

    When will the museum be open?

    The George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art doesn’t have a specific opening date yet, but is scheduled to open in 2026 in Los Angeles.

    (L to R) Guillermo del Toro, George Lucas, Queen Latifah and Doug Chiang seen at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art panel at Comic-Con International 2025 at San Diego Convention Center on July 27, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Eric Charbonneau / Lucas Museum of Narrative Art via Getty Images.
    (L to R) Guillermo del Toro, George Lucas, Queen Latifah and Doug Chiang seen at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art panel at Comic-Con International 2025 at San Diego Convention Center on July 27, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Eric Charbonneau / Lucas Museum of Narrative Art via Getty Images.

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  • San Diego Comic-Con 2025: ‘The Strangers – Chapter 2’ Interviews

    (L to R) Renny Harlin, Courtney Solomon, Madelaine Petsch pictured with the strangers at San Diego Comic-Con 2025.
    (L to R) Renny Harlin, Courtney Solomon, Madelaine Petsch pictured with the strangers at San Diego Comic-Con 2025.

    Preview: 

    • ‘The Strangers – Chapter 2’ attended San Diego Comic-Con 2025 ahead of its September release.
    • Director Renny Harlin, Producer Courtney Solomon, and star Madelaine Petsch were in attendance.
    • The filmmakers and star reveal behind-the-scenes details about the upcoming film.

    The upcoming horror film, ‘The Strangers – Chapter 2‘, came to San Diego Comic-Con 2025 ahead of the September 26, 2025 release. The film follows three masked maniacs who return to finish the job after they discover one of their victims is still alive. With nowhere to run and no one to trust, Maya (Madelaine Petsch) soon finds herself in a brutal fight for survival against psychopaths who are more than willing to kill anyone who stands in their way.

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    Director Renny Harlin (‘Die Hard 2‘, ‘Exorcist: The Beginning‘), Producer Courtney Solomon (‘Arthur the King‘), and star Madelaine Petsch (‘Riverdale‘) spoke with Moviefone about their new film, revealing the challenges of filming Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and Chapter 3 at the same time. They also tease Maya’s arc and evolution through the next two movies.

    Related Article: Renny Harlin Talks ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ and the Franchise’s Future

    ‘The Strangers – Chapter 2’ Will Explore The Evolution Of Maya From Victim To Final Girl

    'The Strangers – Chapter 2' Panel At San Diego Comic-Con International 2025 at San Diego Convention Center on July 24, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Lionsgate.
    ‘The Strangers – Chapter 2’ Panel At San Diego Comic-Con International 2025 at San Diego Convention Center on July 24, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Lionsgate.

    Producer Courtney Solomon discusses how Maya will evolve through the next two chapters, explaining that we have seen her as a victim, and she is going to become so much more than that.

    Courtney Solomon: We did ‘Chapter One’ for the reason we did ‘Chapter One’. It is what it is and she is a victim. But what if, unlike a normal final girl, where in act one of the movie, suddenly they’re killing everybody. Is that really real? I’m not saying it’s not fun. I love those movies. Don’t get me wrong. But what we were trying to do is say, how long would that really take? So let’s just make her a victim in the first movie. Even then, a normal person goes to kill another person, even to defend themselves. How easy is that transition in real life? If you lined up 100 people, how many would really do it? How many would really have the guts to pick up a knife and stab you in the chest and kill you? So actually, we’re deep in character in chapter two and chapter three. You’re seeing somebody that by the end of this thing, and also just for how disturbing the original Strangers was, Chapter two is intense as hell, but it’s a bridge. Chapter three is really disturbing and twisted in a really good way.

    Madelaine Petsch Filled A Binder with Notes To Stay On Track While Filming

    'The Strangers – Chapter 2' Panel At San Diego Comic-Con International 2025 at San Diego Convention Center on July 24, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Lionsgate.
    ‘The Strangers – Chapter 2’ Panel At San Diego Comic-Con International 2025 at San Diego Convention Center on July 24, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Lionsgate.

    Madelaine Petsch admits that the most challenging part of filming one large movie, that is being released in three parts, at the same time, was trying to keep everything straight. They did not film back-to-back, but rather one on top of each other.

    Madelaine Petsch: Honestly, making sure I understand where I am in the story. But the minute I walked into it being one long film, one insatiably long film, I was able to really understand how to break down the character. But it was really about making sure that I was constantly in the right development and right stage of her at all times. So I had like probably 150 pages of notes. And that’s me being conservative. I brought a thick binder to set every day. That was like, OK, today we’re shooting scene two from movie three. Let me go back and look at what happened. I had all these notes of everything that was going on so I could always make sure I knew I was informed by the decisions she’d made previously, but also did not know what was coming next.

    Director Renny Harlin Was Thrilled To Expand The Lore Of The Strangers

    'The Strangers – Chapter 2' Panel At San Diego Comic-Con International 2025 at San Diego Convention Center on July 24, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Lionsgate.
    ‘The Strangers – Chapter 2’ Panel At San Diego Comic-Con International 2025 at San Diego Convention Center on July 24, 2025 in San Diego, California. Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Lionsgate.

    Getting to expand on the lore of the Strangers is something that Director Renny Harlin was most excited to explore.

    Renny Harlin: We wanted to make a four and a half hour movie that is broken into three chapters that really in an extraordinary way gets to explore, first of all, the victim and what happens to a person who gets brutally attacked like this and how far can they go until they snap. And then also to explore the strangers in this case and not to tell the audience everything about them and give reasons like, oh, why are they doing this? Because serial killers, they are random killers. They don’t do it for revenge or any normal reason like that. But to be able to expand all these things was just a fantastic opportunity.

    (L to R) Renny Harlin, Madelaine Petsch and Courtney Solomon at San Diego Comic-Con 2025.
    (L to R) Renny Harlin, Madelaine Petsch and Courtney Solomon at San Diego Comic-Con 2025.

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  • San Diego Comic-Con 2025 Preview: Can’t Miss Panels

    2025 San Diego Comic-Con runs July 24th-July 27th. Photo: Comic-Con International.
    2025 San Diego Comic-Con runs July 24th-July 27th. Photo: Comic-Con International.

    Preview: 

    • San Diego Comic-Con 2025 is taking place at the San Diego Convention Center from July 24th through July 27th.
    • Neither Marvel nor DC will have studio panels, but there are still plenty of other great film and TV projects being highlighted.
    • Notable panels include ‘Predator: Badlands’, ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2, ‘The Toxic Avenger’, ‘The Long Walk’, and more.
    • Legendary filmmaker George Lucas will also be making an appearance on Sunday.

    San Diego Comic-Con 2025 is right around the corner, and with Marvel and DC opting to skip out on studio panels this year, it might seem like there is no reason to attend. That, however, could not be further from the truth, as there are still many incredible projects being showcased this year.

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    Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are packed to the brim with can’t miss panels, including ‘Predator: Badlands‘, ‘Peacemaker‘ Season 2, ‘The Toxic Avenger‘, and ‘Star Trek’. On Sunday, legendary filmmaker George Lucas will make an appearance at the famed Hall H, alongside Guillermo del Toro, to offer a sneak peek of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

    Related Article: Why Marvel Skipping Hall H At SDCC 2025 Actually Makes Perfect Sense

    Thursday, July 24th

    ‘The Toxic Avenger’ 

    Peter Dinklage as “Toxie” in the action, comedy, horror film, 'The Toxic Avenger', a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.
    Peter Dinklage as “Toxie” in the action, comedy, horror film, ‘The Toxic Avenger’, a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.

    ‘The Toxic Avenger’ reimagining is taking over Hall H on Thursday July 24th from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. San Diego Comic-Con attendees will get an exclusive first look at the film, but that is not all. Writer and director Macon Blair, Lloyd Kaufman, and cast including Peter Dinklage, Elijah Wood, Jacob Tremblay, and Taylour Paige wil be on hand to discuss behind-the-scenes stories. The panel features a live Q&A, and exclusive footage from the upcoming film.

    Synopsis: When a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze, is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he’s transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger. Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community. In a world where greed runs rampant… justice is best served radioactive.

    Friday, July 25th

    ‘The Long Walk’ 

    Mark Hamill at The Major in 'The Long Walk'.
    Mark Hamill at The Major in ‘The Long Walk’. Photo: Lionsgate.

    Master storyteller Stephen King’s first novel finally hits the big screen in ‘The Long Walk‘, from visionary director Francis Lawrence (‘The Hunger Games’ franchise films) and adapted by screenwriter JT Mollner (‘Strange Darling‘). Cast and filmmakers will participate in this Hall H panel from 3:00pm to 4:00pm on Friday, July 25th for an in-depth Q&A session and first look at the intense, chilling, and emotional thriller that challenges audiences to confront a haunting question: How far could you go?

    Synopsis: Every year, fifty teenage boys meet for an event known throughout the country as “The Long Walk.” Among this year’s chosen crop is sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty. He knows the rules: that warnings are issued if you fall under speed, stumble, sit down. That after three warnings… you get your ticket. And what happens then serves as a chilling reminder that there can be only one winner in the Walk. The one that survives.

    ‘Predator: Badlands’ 

    Elle Fanning at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas.Photo: Disney.
    Elle Fanning from ‘Predator: Badlands’ at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.

    Director Dan Trachtenberg (‘Prey‘) joins stars Elle Fanning (‘A Complete Unknown‘) and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (‘Upright’) immediately following the panel for ‘The Long Walk’ in Hall H for an exclusive look at ‘Predator: Badlands’, the latest chapter in the legendary franchise. Hear firsthand stories from the set, insights into the film’s new setting and characters, and get a sneak peek at never-before-seen footage.

    Synopsis: The film is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator (Schuster-Koloamatangi), outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

    ‘TRON: Ares’ 

    'Tron: Ares.' Photo by Leah Gallo. © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    ‘Tron: Ares.’ Photo by Leah Gallo. © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    After learning all about ‘Predator: Badlands’, stay in your Hall H seats and step into the Grid as director Joachim Rønning (‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil‘) and the cast of ‘TRON: Ares‘ take the stage to discuss the highly anticipated next installment in the Tron saga. Hear behind-the-scenes stories, get character insights, and have an exclusive first look at footage from the film.

    Synopsis: A highly sophisticated Program called Ares is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings.

    Saturday, July 26th

    ‘Project Hail Mary’ 

    Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in 'Project Hail Mary'.
    Ryan Gosling in ‘Project Hail Mary’. Photo: Amazon MGM Studios.

    Phil Lord (director and producer), Christopher Miller (director and producer), Ryan Gosling (actor and producer), Drew Goddard (screenwriter and executive producer), and Andy Weir (author and producer) give an exclusive first look at the most anticipated sci-fi thriller movie event of 2026 in Hall H on Saturday, July 26th from 2:15pm to 3:15pm.

    Synopsis: Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, ‘Project Hail Mary‘ follows a science teacher who wakes up on a spaceship, lightyears from home, with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: to solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction . . . but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.

    Peacmaker Season 2 

    (L to R) John Cena and Danielle Brooks in 'Peacemaker' season 2. Photo: Jessica Miglio/Max.
    (L to R) John Cena and Danielle Brooks in ‘Peacemaker’ season 2. Photo: Jessica Miglio/Max.

    The HBO Max series ‘Peacemaker’, from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television, returns for a highly anticipated second season on August 21. Fans that attend the SDCC 2025 panel, which immediately follows the ‘Project Hail Mary’ panel, will be treated to exclusive sneak peek footage from the new season and a conversation with James Gunn (co-head of DC Studios, executive producer, writer, director) and actors John Cena (Peacemaker, executive producer), Danielle Brooks (Adebayo), Jennifer Holland (Harcourt), Freddie Stroma (Vigilante), Steve Agee (Economos), Frank Grillo (Rick Flag Sr.), Sol Rodriguez (Sasha Bordeaux), and Tim Meadows (Langston Fleury).

    Synopsis: The continuing story of Peacemaker – a compellingly vainglorious man who believes in peace at any cost, no matter how many people he has to kill to get it – in the aftermath of the events of ‘The Suicide Squad‘.

    Sunday, July 27th

    Lucas Museum of Narrative Art 

    The perfect way to close out San Diego Comic-Con 2025 is to attend the final Hall H panel at 11:00am on Sunday, July 27th. Legendary filmmaker George Lucas, Academy Award-winning director Guillermo del Toro, and Academy Award-winning artist Doug Chiang explore the power of illustrated storytelling and offer a sneak peek of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, moderated by Grammy, Emmy, Academy Award-nominated, and Golden Globe Award-winning artist, Queen Latifah.

    Oscar®-nominated writer/director/producer George Lucas during the 2012 Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA, Saturday, December 1. Credit/Provider: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
    Oscar®-nominated writer/director/producer George Lucas during the 2012 Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA, Saturday, December 1. Credit/Provider: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

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  • Marvel Skipping Hall H At SDCC 2025 Makes Perfect Sense

    (L to R) Kevin Feige, Joe Russo, Robert Downey Jr., and Anthony Russo present 'Avengers: Doomsday' at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
    (L to R) Kevin Feige, Joe Russo, Robert Downey Jr., and Anthony Russo present ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.

    Preview:

    • Marvel has opted out of a Hall H panel at SDCC 2025
    • This decision doesn’t mean they don’t have confidence in upcoming projects
    • James Gunn’s DCU will likely be the big headliner

    Marvel has announced that they will not be hosting a Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2025. After last year’s incredible line-up, this does not surprise me. While I still think it is possible for them to have a surprise screening of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘, just like they did for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine‘ last year, their skipping out on a full panel this year makes perfect sense.

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    Superhero fatigue is real. ‘Thunderbolts*’ is a great movie – audiences and critics agree – and yet it did not perform at the box office. It would not be smart for Marvel to spend a ton of money putting on a massive panel (because there is no point in doing one and not going all out) when they need to save all the pennies they can right now.

    Related Article: Who Will Be on Sam Wilson’s Avengers Team in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?

    Marvel Not Doing A 2025 SDCC Panel Does Not Mean They Don’t Have Confidence In Their Upcoming Slate

    (L to R) Kevin Feige, Joe Russo, Robert Downey Jr., and Anthony Russo present 'Avengers: Doomsday' at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
    (L to R) Kevin Feige, Joe Russo, Robert Downey Jr., and Anthony Russo present ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.

    Marvel has three more projects left to release in 2025: ‘Ironheart‘, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’, ‘Eyes of Wakanda‘, and ‘Wonder Man‘.

    ‘Ironheart’, which admittedly Marvel seems to be trying to make people forget about, will be all released by the time San Diego Comic-Con rolls around. The first three episodes come to Disney+ on June 24th, and the final three follow just a week later, on July 2nd. It has been a long time since viewers have seen Riri Williams, so this series needs to be good to make viewers care about her again.

    In Marvel comics, she has a close relationship with Tony Stark. Of course, he is no longer alive in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has some fans a little bit worried about how her story is going to play out. The trailer for the show looks great, but there will be no need to promote it at SDCC a couple of weeks after it is already streaming on Disney+.

    The same can be said for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’, although it comes to theaters the week of SDCC, on July 25th. In 2024, Marvel hosted a “surprise” screening of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ on Thursday evening to celebrate its release that week. It is highly likely that they do the same with ‘First Steps’ this year. One would almost think that they had this planned all along, and that is why they like to take the release slot for the week of San Diego Comic-Con.

    This saves them from having to pay for an entire panel, but they will still be able to promote their final big project of 2025. If they follow suit from last year, they just might have the cast in attendance as well.

    The only 2025 projects that Marvel would be showcasing at a Hall H panel would be the upcoming animated show, ‘Eyes of Wakana’, and ‘Wonder Man’. While we have heard very little about both, there is no reason to save an entire Hall H panel for two projects, and streaming series at that.

    ‘Eyes of Wakanda’ is a four-episode series, which is premiering at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 9th. Since it will already be old news by the time SDCC comes around, even though the series comes to Disney+ in August, there is no need to do an entire panel just for a short animated series that, unfortunately, Marvel fans do not seem to care about too much anyway. ‘Wonder Man’ would be the only real draw and even that one fans seem to not be too excited for.

    What Does This Mean For Avengers: Doomsday?

    'Avengers: Doomsday'.
    ‘Avengers: Doomsday’. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.

    ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ was recently pushed from May 1, 2026, to December 18, 2026, which is a brilliant move for several reasons, including that the studio will not need to rush out a subpar movie and can take a little bit more time to ensure it has the same impact that ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘ did.

    During last year’s Marvel San Diego Comic-Con panel, they went all out for this film. Marvel invited out the Russo Brothers to tease the movie, but the biggest surprise was the reveal that Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the MCU, not as Iron Man, but as Doctor Doom. It would be extremely difficult to top that, so why even try?

    Filming is already underway in London for ‘Doomsday’ and is not expected to wrap until August. It would be disruptive for Marvel to shut down production (even for a day or two) in order to bring some of the cast to SDCC just for a photo opportunity and what would likely be a behind-the-scenes look at the movie. Add in the cost to fly talent back to the States for a quick appearance, the return on investment would simply not be worth it for Marvel.

    Plus, now that it is releasing after San Diego Comic-Con 2026, they are likely going to wait until then to show off what they have come up with, while teasing ‘Avengers: Secret Wars‘ at the same time. It is the most logical decision for Marvel to make.

    Will DC Take Over SDCC Hall H?

    James Gunn at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
    James Gunn at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.

    With Marvel out of the picture, San Diego Comic-Con is DC’s time to shine. While there is no official confirmation at the time of writing, there is a good chance that Co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran will take the stage at Hall H to share what they have in store for fans over the next couple of years.

    It is well known that they have a detailed plan for the DC Universe, which kicks off on July 11th with ‘Superman‘. Sure, the movie will have been out for two weeks by SDCC, but this just means they can go into detail about all the characters that make appearances and their future projects. We already know that ‘Peacemaker‘ is heading to the convention. When confirming this on social media, James Gunn said that while he is focusing on the show, he will, of course, “talk about everything.”

    It would make much more sense for DC to take advantage of Marvel skipping Hall H this year and host a large panel detailing the upcoming DCU slate. It would mean that they come out on top of the discussions that week, which would certainly not hurt, considering that ‘Superman’ will still be in theaters (and going up against the first week of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’).

    Marvel might be skipping San Diego Comic-Con in 2025, but chances are, this means they are going to come with incredible announcements, first looks, and reveals in 2026. Their decision does not mean that they think any less of their upcoming projects; it actually makes a whole lot of sense. This also opens up a window for James Gunn and the DCU to step in and take over this year, which fans would love to see.

    San Diego Comic-Con will take place at the San Diego Convention Center July 24th through 27th, 2025.

    (L to R) Louis D'Esposito, Kevin Feige, Robert Downey Jr., Joe Russo and Anthony Russo present 'Avengers: Doomsday' at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
    (L to R) Louis D’Esposito, Kevin Feige, Robert Downey Jr., Joe Russo and Anthony Russo present ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.

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