After going virtual in 2020 and 2021 the mother of all comic-cons – San Diego Comic Con returns. In 2022 the revolution will be live and in person. With that comes a return to fanboys and girls dressed up as their favorite characters, booths showing their latest and greatest wares. As well as movie & television studios dropping announcements and trailers for their upcoming releases. The rumor mill is abuzz about the panels and previews set to drop this week. Here’s what to look out for at 2022 San Diego Comic Con.
Black Adam & Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Dwayne Johnson and Zachary Levi will be in attendance on Saturday, July 23rd in Hall H. Safe bet we will be seeing new footage or trailers for Johnson’s passion project Black Adam. While Levi will provide a deeper look at the Shazam sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods. What fans are truly waiting for, and this is the precursor will be the Black Adam vs. Shazam match up, which is bound to happen at some point. But not this weekend. A fanboy can dream, can’t they?
The Flash, Aquaman & Batgirl
Less safe bets are appearance by cast members or new footage of The Flash, Aquaman or Batgirl. With all its superhero crossovers including OG Batman Michael Keaton, Batfleck and Supergirl, teasing new footage of The Flash would be a no brainer. However, given its star Ezra Miller’s recent legal woes, it’s not a safe PR move at this point.
We however have a decent chance at seeing some new footage from Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom and Batgirl. Both have completed filming and set for release in 2023. So now is a great time for some hardcore fanbase exposure which only SDCC can provide. Here’s hope we get a Leslie Grace sighting in Hall H this week.
Wakanda Forever
The MCU returns to San Diego this year. With the latest Dr. Strange and Thor sequels released the next big tentpole to arrive is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It’s a safe bet the first trailer may well arrive during the Marvel Studios panel in Hall H on Saturday, July 23rd. This film is bittersweet, with the passing of Chadwick Boseman who played the titular hero, fans are curious as to how the character will be handled in the sequel. Aside from the dilemma around its former star, there are some crossovers to be on the lookout for. It has been confirmed that Namor, The Submariner will appear in the film, but it’s also been rumored that a Dr. Doom appearance may also occur.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
James Gunn already teased there will be a presence from his upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy projects at Comic-Con. However, he’s got two GoG projects in the can. There is The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special expected in 2022 and then the full blow sequel Vol. 3 due out in May 2023. It’s anyone’s guess which will appear, perhaps attendees may be in for a surprise and get sneak peeks at both.
Fantastic Four
With John Krasinski appearing as Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness the interwebs are aflutter. What’s next? A Fantastic Four reboot is currently in development, but status of casting, script and release are all unknowns. Still, don’t be surprised if Marvel drops some new intel on audiences this weekend.
House of the Dragon
Game of Thrones fans rejoice! The long-awaited prequel series, House of the Dragon premieres on HBO on August 21. However, before then it will have a panel that will reveal more about our return to Westeros 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. The panel will feature co-creator/executive producer George R. R. Martin, co-creator/co-showrunner/executive producer/writer Ryan Condal, co-showrunner/executive producer/director Miguel Sapochnik, as well as cast members Paddy Considine, who plays King Viserys Targaryen, Matt Smith playing Prince Daemon Targaryen, Olivia Cooke who plays Alicent Hightower and Emma D’Arcy who plays Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen among others.
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
If your more of a Middle Earth, than Westeros kind of guy. Fear not, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is coming to SDCC. Prime Video has shared that fans will get an “exclusive early look” ahead of its September 2 release date at the panel. Fans will also get to see cast members including Morfydd Clark, Charles Edwards, Rob Aramayo, Benjamin Walker, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charlie Vickers, Nazanin Boniadi, Tyroe Muhafidin, Daniel Weyman and Cynthia Addai-Robinso to name a few.
San Diego Comic-Con runs from Thursday, July 21st to Sunday, July 23rd