Peacemaker Season 2 Preview Set for Fans

Comic-Con made its official debut in San Diego on Wednesday, as tens of thousands of pop culture devotees from around the world descended upon the event, with one guest in particular making longtime attendees especially nostalgic this year.

Iconic filmmaker George Lucas will be in attendance at Comic-Con 2023 for the first time, despite the convention’s extensive ties to his blockbuster sci-fi universe, Star Wars, as well as the Indiana Jones series.

The epicenter of storytelling, cinema, and fandom culture has long counted Lucas as one of its own, with several of his series debuting in Comic-Con history, although Lucas himself has never before participated in the annual San Diego celebration.

“This year, we are pleased to announce that George Lucas, a true pioneer in the art of world building and visual storytelling, will be at Comic-Con this year,” David Glanzer, Chief Communications and Strategy Officer, said in a statement. “Almost 50 years ago, Star Wars made one of its first public appearances at this very convention, and included in its booth was a giveaway poster designed by [comic book artist] Howard Chaykin that is now legendary.”

Lucas is set to attend Comic-Con for a Sunday panel with Queen Latifah, which will center around the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, opening in Los Angeles next year. Mexican director Guillermo del Toro and Oscar-winning artist Doug Chiang, whose work has shaped the look of the Star Wars series for decades, will also appear alongside Lucas, whose collection will be on display at the museum. Del Toro, Chiang, and Lucas will discuss the Lucas Museum and how it will highlight “illustrated narratives and storytelling through the art of film, comics, and concept art.”

Comic-Con has come a long way since 1970, when it began as a simple convention for comic book lovers in San Diego. Today, the event is an international pop culture sensation with approximately 130,000 visitors annually. Comic-Con has evolved into a veritable Mecca for anything related to fan culture, from cosplay to merchandise to rare first looks, panel discussions, and world premieres of Hollywood’s hottest films, shows, and upcoming projects.

Alien and Predator Set to Make Their Big Comic-Con Debuts

Perhaps one of this year’s most highly anticipated events is the world premiere of a new series, Alien: Earth, a prequel to Ridley Scott’s classic 1979 sci-fi horror flick, Alien. The new series, set a few years before Alien, is directed by Noah Hawley and delves into the franchise’s mythology. Alien: Earth will debut tomorrow in Hall H, Comic-Con’s premiere venue, and will premiere on streaming services in August.

Hot on its heels is another new series with fans in attendance: Predator: Badlands. A reboot of the iconic sci-fi franchise, the new film, however, will be different from what fans might expect. For the first time, the infamous Predator will be the one who’s being hunted. The new Badlands installment is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who most recently injected life into the franchise with 2022’s Prey. Trachtenberg will be on hand at Comic-Con along with the cast, including Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who plays the alien Dek, to give fans a look at what’s next for the newly imagined franchise.

Marvel Takes a Back Seat, Sci-Fi Takes Center Stage

Marvel Studios will be taking a step back from Comic-Con 2023, as they have no longer been including their traditional Hall H premiere for the anticipated Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which has experienced some shake-ups during production.

Variety reported that while Marvel has traditionally had the first Saturday night presentation in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con each year, the slate of movies for next year has yet to be finalized, as much of the studio’s output has been put on hold while filming and reshoots are underway in the U.K.

Sci-fi, on the other hand, has had no such problem and instead has flocked to fill the giant that is Marvel’s absence at Comic-Con this year. Marvel fans will no doubt be gracing the Sci-Fi panels in Hall H through the weekend, but a lack of Marvel has not left the annual convention any less charged than years past.

Ryan Gosling, Peacemaker, and More Star-Studded Appearances

Ryan Gosling and the stars of the new movie Project Hail Mary will present at Comic-Con this weekend in what is being heralded as one of the year’s most hotly anticipated panels. Based on the book by Andy Weir, the author of The Martian, the new film follows protagonist and former schoolteacher Ryland Grace (Gosling) as he awakens on a spaceship to find he’s the only survivor and humanity’s last hope for survival. Hail Mary will be in theaters next year, and its panel this weekend will be led by Gosling alongside directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who also helmed the Spider-Verse trilogy.

Fans of the DC Universe will also have a lot to look forward to this weekend. Gunn, who now has the reins on rebooting the DC Universe on screen with Superman, will also be at Comic-Con to lead his panel for the second season of Peacemaker, joined by the cast, who will provide attendees with behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive previews.

Cosplay Takes Center Stage at Comic-Con

Comic-Con 2023 might be made up of epic panels and buzzworthy premieres, and announcements, but make no mistake: Comic-Con is above all about its fans. From princesses to warrioresses to superheroes and aliens, thousands of attendees will fill the halls of the convention center decked out in their favorite costumes and cosplay gear. San Diego Comic-Con will run through Sunday, July 27.