San Diego Comic-Con begins next week, and there’s a lot of pop culture on display. What’s the most important? What we will finally learn more about? Here’s a look at what’s coming and where to find it if you happen to be one of the lucky people in attendance.
Movies
The movie schedule is surprisingly light, this year: Fox is skipping Comic-Con altogether, so there won’t be any Deadpool or X-Men news, and while there are plenty of Star Wars panels, Disney tends to save that for Star Wars Celebration, their big convention, and D-23, their yearly convention/presentation to theater owners.
Warner Bros. Panel (Saturday July 23, 2016 11:30am – 1:30pm Hall H)
Expect a lot from DC at this panel, with a particular focus on Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and likely Justice League. DC is celebrating 75 years of Wondy in the comics, and is hinting at some special guests there, as well. We’ll also be expecting to hear from Lego Batman in some capacity.
Marvel Studios Panel (Saturday July 23, 2016 5:30pm – 6:45pm Hall H)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is likely to be a particular focus here, as James Gunn has promised something special from the movie. We’ll also be keeping an ear out for more from Doctor Strange and Black Panther.
Aliens 30th Anniversary (Saturday July 23, 2016 3:15pm – 4:15pm Hall H)
James Cameron, Sigourney Weaver, and the Marines celebrate the 30th anniversary of one of cinema’s greatest movies about people getting eaten by space monsters.
Moana (Thursday July 21, 2016 12:30pm – 1:30pm Room 6A)
Disney’s next animated movie gets a full behind-the-scenes breakdown from its directors, Ron Clements and John Musker, the guys who directed basically every Disney movie you have ever loved. It’ll be worth it just to see their process, but we’ll probably learn more about the movie’s intriguing Hawaiian setting.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (Thursday July 21, 2016 1:00pm – 2:00pm Hall H)
Luc Besson’s ambitious space opera/comic book adaptation is going to show off its first footage here, and finally give us an idea of just what Besson is up to. Taking place in a city crammed full of aliens, there is of course a shadowy conspiracy. This one is definitely a dark horse in some ways, not least because the last time Besson decided to write and direct a science fiction movie, we got The Fifth Element.
TV
TV, on the other hand, is an absolute smorgasbord. Every cult show from Colony to Dark Matter to DC’s CW block will be having a panel and a special presentation. So no matter what your favorite show is, there’s probably something to learn about it next week. These are the standouts.
Game of Thrones (Friday July 22, 2016 2:15pm – 3:15pm Hall H)
Hosted by Rob McElhenney, we’ll find out just what’s coming now that Jon Snow knows something and Cersei have cleaned house.
The Walking Dead (Friday July 22, 2016 1:00pm – 2:00pm Hall H)
Most of the cast will be there to discuss who got the receiving end of Lucille (without naming names, of course), and where season seven will pick up in October, as the trailer will debut that day.
Sherlock (Sunday July 24, 2016 10:00am – 11:00am Hall H)
We’re finally getting the fourth season, which will premiere on PBS sometime in the 2016-17 season, and the cast and crew will tease just what’s in store for the team, with the show’s creator Steven Moffat on hand to take questions.
Luke Cage (Thursday July 21, 2016 5:45pm – 6:45pm Ballroom 20)
Info has been thin on the ground for Netflix’s next Marvel series, but it looks like we’ll finally be getting some new footage, and this also appears to be when the show’s hype machine gets into full gear for its September 30 release. Keep an ear out for news about The Defenders and Iron Fist as well.
Archer (Friday July 22, 2016 5:00pm – 6:00pm Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)
The FX spy series will be screening an exclusive new video, no doubt explaining how the series can continue for a few more seasons after THAT finale.
Fear the Walking Dead (Friday July 22, 2016 12:00pm – 1:00pm Hall H)
The cast and crew will talk the finale and where the show picks up for its third season, which is rolling out in August.
Mr. Robot (Thursday July 21, 2016 6:00pm – 7:00pm Room 6BCF)
USA’s hacker thriller is debuting this week, but the panel next week will likely be full of surprises and burning questions. Plus, fans will get to ask Christian Slater if he likes being called “Mr. Robot.”
Rick and Morty (Friday July 22, 2016 2:15pm – 3:00pm Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)
We’re finally getting a look at the third season of Morty’s suffering at the hands of his mercenary, sociopathic grandpa.
Preacher (Friday July 22, 2016 6:30pm – 8:30pm Hall H)
Shaking things up a bit, the cast will be doing a live reading of Sunday’s episode.
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Saturday July 23, 2016 8:30pm – 9:30pm Room 24ABC)
The best thing to ever happen to Joe Don Baker is back and will be laying out how the eleventh season, a huge hit on Kickstarter, will function. While at the panel, watch out for snakes.
Ash vs. Evil Dead (Saturday July 23, 2016 10:00pm – 11:00pm Room 6DE)
The show is rolling out its second season premiere at Comic-Con.
The Simpsons (Saturday July 23, 2016 12:00pm – 12:45pm Ballroom 20)
They’ve got a panel celebrating the 600th episode on the docket. Yes, there really are 600 episodes!
So, good luck in San Diego. Especially if you love TV, we might recommend getting in some cardio before you run from panel to panel.
