Is Comic-Con Canceled? What the SAG Strike Means for Event
San Diego Comic-Con is set to kick off on July 19, 2023. The annual event brings together fans of all things pop culture, including TV, comics and movies.
This year's event will be a little different than Comic-Cons that have come before. For starters, Collider previously reported that studio heavyweight Marvel had announced that there will be no Hall H presentation, which has typically been a hallmark of the Comic-Con experience and has also given fans sneak peeks at upcoming projects before the general public sees anything.
On top of that, the SAG-AFTRA strike means that no actors will be attending Comic-Con in any capacity, as they are no longer allowed to promote any work for the duration of the strike.
While fans will certainly miss out on many key aspects of Comic-Con that have made the event so fun in the past, there are still parts of the event to look forward to.
Related: SAG-AFTRA Strike 2023: What Can Actors Still Do?
What is Comic-Con?
Comic-Con is one of the largest and most popular gatherings of comic, movie and science fiction fandoms in the world. The first Comic-Con was held in 1970 when 300 people turned out to celebrate their favorite projects and comic series.
Since then, the event has become a global leader in fan conventions and has inspired countless conventions around the world. The impact of Comic-Con goes far beyond fan culture, as the event itself generates around $140 a million a year in the local economy.
When is Comic-Con 2023?
Comic-Con 2023 will take place from July 19 to July 23.
Related: Every Show, Movie and Event Affected by the SAG-AFTRA Strike
Where is Comic-Con held in 2023?
Comic-Con is hosted at the convention center in San Diego, California. The convention center is located within the city's Balboa Park neighborhood, which also houses the San Diego Zoo.
Related: What the Actors Strike Means for the Entertainment Industry
Can I still buy tickets for Comic-Con in 2023?
Tickets for Comic-Con are still available on Vivid Seats.
Will the SGA-AFTRA strike change Comic-Con 2023?
The Screen Actors Guild called for a strike effective on July 13, 2023. Unfortunately for Comic-Con attendees, the strike will mean that many actors will no longer be allowed to attend the event or to promote their upcoming projects.
Some productions are coming up with alternative fan events to help smooth everything over. For example, TMZ reports that Amazon's Prime Video series Good Omens will screen the first episode of the show's upcoming season instead of the planned panel with speakers and a signing session.
Other shows, such as The Rookie and That '70s Show, have already canceled their planned panels. These cancellations come after Marvel Studios announced no plans to host their annual Hall H presentation. Universal and HBO followed suit with no one from either company attending.
Additional panels that could be impacted by the strike include those planned by Abbot Elementary, Futurama, The Wheel of Time and What We Do In The Shadows.
Overall, both the SAG-AFTRA strike and WGA strike mean that actors and writers will not be at Comic-Con as they have in years past, providing fans with interactions, sightings and behind-the-scenes stories that have been a cherished part of attending the event.
