With San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) only a few weeks away, it’s time for congoers to begin planning their itineraries for one of the most exciting weeks of the year. With beloved franchises like Game of Thrones and the MCU celebrating endings this year, it’ll be interesting to see what tone the convention takes.
There are also plenty of exciting new television series on the horizon, many of which will be making their presence known at SDCC. In addition to Game of Thrones, HBO’s bringing His Dark Materials and Westworld to the convention. Nexflix is bringing along the highly anticipated fantasy series The Witcher, as well as The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
And of course, The CW will be present with a handful of its most popular television series. Supernatural and Arrow, both of which are building to their final seasons, will have panels, as will other DC shows like The Flash and Batwoman, will also
Here are some of the biggest panels you’ll want to check out at SDCC this year!
Must-See Panels
His Dark Materials Panel: July 18, 4:45 p.m., Hall H
HBO and BBC have been hyping up their latest book-to-television adaptation, His Dark Materials, which is based on Philip Pullman’s fantasy series of the same name. With the trailer teasing that the series will be “Coming Soon,” SDCC is the perfect time to get the scoop on HBO’s plans for this adaptation.
All we know about the series so far is the cast, but there’s a chance we’ll learn more here. Lead actor Dafne Keen will be present at the panel, as will James McAvoy, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ruth Wilson and Jane Tranter. Hopefully we’ll get a release date.
Avengers: Endgame writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely: July 19, 10:00 a.m., Hall H
Avengers: Endgame was one of the biggest pop culture events of 2019, so it’s only fair it should have an entire panel to itself. Attendees can hear the film’s writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, discuss their experience putting the story together — and maybe find out whether the MCU Multiverse is, in fact, a thing.
A Conversation with the Russo Brothers: July 19, 11:00 a.m., Hall H
Image: Disney
Now that Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home have brought the third phase of the MCU to a close, it’ll be interesting to hear the Russo Brothers discuss their thoughts on the franchise. Not only do fans have questions about the end of Phase 3, but there’s also plenty we’d like to know about Phase 4, including how Disney+ will factor into it.
The Witcher: A Netflix Original Series: July 19, 2:15 p.m., Hall H
If there’s any up-and-coming series to be excited about in the SFF world, it’s Netflix’s The Witcher, an adaptation of author Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series of the same name. Netflix has released an official poster and some images. Time for a trailer?
Netflix Presents: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance: July 19, 3:30 p.m., Hall H
THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE – Deet
Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is also coming to SDCC this year, and for a show about a bunch of puppets, it’s looking like it could be one of the streaming service’s next big hits. With big-name stars like Awkwafina, Helena Bonham Carter, Mark Hamill, Lena Headey, Nathalie Dormer, and Nathalie Emmanuel on board, how could it not be?
Netflix hasn’t revealed who will be on the panel for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance just yet, but really, hearing any of cast members talk about the show would be a gift. We’re sure to hear more about the series at SDCC, especially since it officially drops on August 30.
Game of Thrones Panel: July 19, 5:30 p.m., Hall H
On the heels of its eighth and final season, Game of Thrones is bringing some major players to SDCC this year. Not only will showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss be in attendance, but many of the actors behind the show’s biggest characters will be there. Among the cast members on the panel are Jacob Anderson, John Bradley, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Liam Cunningham, Nathalie Emmanuel, Iain Glen, Conleth Hill, Maisie Williams and Isaac Hempstead Wright.
It’s a bit disappointing that we won’t get to hear the Mother of Dragons’ or George R.R. Martin’s input on the final season, but hey, at least we’ll hear from the newly elected king of Westeros himself.
Enter the Star Trek Universe Panel: July 20, 11:30 a.m., Hall H
ÒSuch Sweet Sorrow, Part 2Ó — Ep#214 — Pictured: Anson Mount as Captain Pike of the CBS All Access series STAR TREK: DISCOVERY. Photo Cr: Russ Martin/CBS ©2018 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
CBS has multiple Star Trek shows in production right now, and the network is bringing those to SDCC under the umbrella of “Enter the Star Trek Universe.” This panel will update fans on the third season of Discovery, as well as the progress of Picard and Lower Decks.
Amazon Studios’ The Expanse: July 20, 1:00 p.m., Indigo Ballroom
Occasionally described as “Game of Thrones in space,” Amazon’s The Expanse is a science-fiction series with a dedicated following. It’ll be returning to SDCC this year, and there’s plenty to discuss. Syfy cancelled the series after its third season ended in 2018, but Amazon bought the series and renewed it for a fourth go-round. And though there’s no official release date for the next season, it should be coming soon, especially if Amazon chose to bring it to the convention. Perhaps we’ll be getting a new trailer during the panel…
Westworld Panel: July 20, 1:15 p.m., Hall H
Photo Credit: Westworld/HBO Image Acquired from HBO Media Relations
Westworld is one of HBO’s most promising series currently airing, especially now that Game of Thrones has come to an end. And with its third season approaching next year, it makes sense that the creators and stars would show up at SDCC to discuss the show. Both Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy will be speaking on the panel, as well as stars Ed Harris, Thandie Newton, Aaron Paul, Tessa Thompson, Evan Rachel Wood and Jeffrey Wright. With any luck, the group will give some long-awaited details about the next season…you know, other than the fact that Aaron Paul’s going to be in it.
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Could-See Panels
Fear the Walking Dead Panel: July 19, 12:00 p.m., Hall H
Alycia Debnam-Carey as Alicia Clark, Lennie James as Morgan Jones – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 5, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Ryan Green/AMC
Fear the Walking Dead has become almost as popular as its predecessor, The Walking Dead, and it’s only natural that both shows would make their annual appearance at SDCC. Fear the Walking Dead’s panel will likely cover what fans can expect from the remainder of season five, and maybe even whether they can anticipate a sixth season.
The Walking Dead Panel: July 19, 1:00 p.m., Hall H
It feels like The Walking Dead has been on television forever, and there’s no suggestion that the show will come to an end any time soon. But with the comic series the show was based on recently wrapping up, fans are curious about where the show will go from here. That’s one possible discussion that could take place at SDCC.
Batwoman Pilot Screening and Q&A: July 20, 10:30 a.m., Ballroom 20
Attendees looking for early screenings might want to check out the pilot screening and following Q&A for The CW’s Batwoman. The CW has plenty of superhero shows currently airing on its network — many of which will also be at this year’s SDCC. The network seems particularly keen, however, to build a fanbase for its upcoming Batwoman series, which airs this October. The panel might shed some light on what’s in store for Ruby Rose’s character, as well as what Gotham is like during this Batman-less era she lives in.
The Good Place Panel: July 20, 12:00 p.m., Indigo Ballroom
THE GOOD PLACE — “Team Cockroach” Episode 204 — Pictured: (l-r) William Jackson Harper as Chidi, Manny Jacinto as Jianyu, Jameela Jamil as Tahani, Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop — (Photo by: Colleen Hayes/NBC)
The Good Place is one of those series that straddles the line between the fantastical and the contemporary, appealing to fans of all genres. And with the fourth and final season on its way this fall, NBC is bringing the series to this year’s SDCC. It’ll be interesting to hear what the network has planned for the show’s ending.
Arrow Panel: July 20, 3:30 p.m., Ballroom 20
While The CW is attempting to boost the following around Batwoman, it’s also bringing its first and arguably most popular DC superhero series to a close. It was recently announced that the next season of Arrow will also be its last. It’ll be interesting to hear the cast and crew look back on the series as a whole, as well as to learn why now feels like the perfect time to move on.
The Flash Panel: July 20, 5:45 p.m., Ballroom 20
The Flash — “The Girl with The Red Lightning” — Image Number: FLA521b_0065b.jpg — Pictured: Grant Gustin as The Flash — Photo: Jeff Weddell/The CW — © 2019 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved
If Arrow is The CW’s longest-running and most popular DC series, The Flash is a close second. In fact, Barry Allen’s story began during an episode of Arrow, but it’s grown into a full-fledged series of its own — and a beloved one at that. Luckily, The Flash will continue running with its sixth season this fall, which will likely be previewed during this panel.
DC Universe Panel: July 20, 7:00 p.m., Indigo Ballroom
While the DC television series airing on The CW seem to be thriving, many fans are wondering what’s happening with the DC universe films. It’s unclear when the next Wonder Woman installment is coming, whether other Justice League characters like Aquamanwill have a future in the DC extended universe, and how the franchise plans to proceed after Justice League in general. Hopefully, this two-hour panel at this year’s SDCC will shed some light on things.
Supernatural Panel: July 21, 10:30 a.m., Hall H
The Supernatural panel is bound to be another big one for The CW, particularly since the show’s fifteenth and final season is heading our way in October. One of the longest-running series on the network, Supernatural has tackled just about every angle one can think of when it comes to ghosts, demons, angels and the like. During SDCC, the cast is likely to reflect on that — and maybe explain what sort of monsters they’ll be fighting leading up to the end.
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