George Lucas Joins Comic-Con for the First Time Ever

Comic-Con, an annual San Diego pop culture festival, has officially opened its doors for this year’s event. Tens of thousands of fans from around the world are in attendance — and this year, a historic first.

Legendary filmmaker George Lucas, of “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” fame, will be attending Comic-Con for the first time this year, a major point of interest for the convention’s many fans. Lucas had attended Comic-Con in the past as a young attendee and has been a driving creative force behind its now-iconic franchises. But despite the event’s roots in pop culture, Lucas has not previously been a featured guest of Comic-Con or any similar conventions.

In a release, David Glanzer, chief communications and strategy officer, wrote that “for many, Star Wars first met the convention nearly five decades ago and there was a booth [featuring] a poster designed by comic book artist Howard Chaykin that became a sought-after promotional item. The artist’s decision to attend SDCC in 1977 to introduce the poster to convention-goers was one of our first interviews, establishing one of Star Wars’ first relationships with the public. Glanzer also said Lucas’s appearance at the event this year is “a true full-circle moment.”

Lucas will be appearing at a special Sunday panel on Comic-Con’s first day, moderated by Queen Latifah. He’ll be joined by Mexican director Guillermo del Toro and Oscar-winning concept artist Doug Chiang. The trio will be discussing the upcoming Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, set to open in Los Angeles next year. They’ll discuss the new museum, which Lucas co-founded, a space which will feature art, film, and stories “across a diverse range of storytelling media, from comic books to digital art to concept designs,” including a massive archive of Lucas’ collection.

Comic-Con’s Growth Over the Years

Comic-Con was first held in 1970 as a small comic book convention in San Diego. Since then, it’s blossomed into a mecca for fans of all things pop culture, with around 130,000 people in attendance each year. Fans come for the cosplay, collectibles, exclusive looks at upcoming films and TV shows, sneak peeks at new comic releases, and premieres from Hollywood’s buzziest projects.

Alien Lands on Earth

Fans of Ridley Scott’s 1979 film Alien can look forward to the long-awaited series “Alien: Earth,” which will premiere this weekend. “Alien: Earth” is a prequel series to the iconic Alien franchise, directed by Noah Hawley. The new series, which will be streaming on Netflix later this August, delves into the world and mythology of Alien and is set just a few years before the events of Scott’s film.

The series premiere will be shown tomorrow in Hall H, the convention’s biggest venue. Hawley will be at the panel, alongside returning cast members. (Alien newcomers Elle Fanning and Navin Chowkwury will also appear at their panels, but the series as a whole will focus on the returning cast.)

Fans of the Predator franchise can also expect a new take on the science fiction/horror classic this year: “Predator: Badlands” will be premiering. The new entry into the long-running franchise follows the eponymous Predator, and is the first of the series to have the human characters on top, and the Predator as the prey. Director Dan Trachtenberg, who has helped breathe new life into the franchise with the 2022 film Prey, will be at the panel. Fanning, who will also appear at her panel, will be at the film’s event, along with Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who plays the alien Dek.

Marvel Studios Takes a Backseat

Marvel Studios has been a big presence in San Diego each year for the past several years, often holding their big premiere for one of their many Marvel Cinematic Universe projects in the highly coveted Hall H space. This year, they are taking things a bit slower.

Marvel has opted out of Hall H this year, instead choosing to scale back their participation overall. A decision that was, according to Variety, a result of a number of different factors, including continued delays in filming the next Avengers film, Avengers: Cosmic Guardians, which has had a tough time scheduling due to production being in the UK.

Sci-Fi Fills the Void

In the absence of Marvel, many sci-fi titans are vying for attention at this year’s Comic-Con. While Marvel is sitting out in Hall H this year, programming for the premier venue has still seen heavy hitters in the space, and is sure to power through this weekend.

Ryan Gosling, Peacemaker, and More Headliners

Fans of Andy Weir’s The Martian will also be familiar with his latest book, Project Hail Mary, which will be released in theaters in 2023. The film follows Ryan Gosling’s character Ryland Grace, a former schoolteacher, who wakes up on a spaceship without a memory and finds that he might be Earth’s last hope for survival. Gosling will appear at this Saturday’s panel for the project, moderated by directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

Peacemaker, the solo spin-off series for DC’s infamous Merc with a Mouth, and helmed by James Gunn, will also be back at Comic-Con this year for a second season panel. Gunn, who was recently handed the keys to DC’s full cinematic universe reboot, will be joined by the Peacemaker cast. Behind-the-scenes footage and new looks at season two are expected.

A Costume Party for the Ages

While awards, television series, major studios, and films might be the bread and butter of Comic-Con, at its core, the event is a love letter to fandom. Fans of characters and comic lore from all different eras and genres will be showing up to Comic-Con this weekend in full costume, sporting everything from princess gowns to maces to alien skins to hand-carved costumes. The event runs through Sunday, July 27.