11 Things We Learned at Comic-Con This Year
Comic-Con finally ended yesterday, and if you weren’t able to make the trek to San Diego, we’ve got your eyewitness report, straight from Hall H. Read on to find out which star’s acting approach freaked out her directors; which superhero movie just got a bunch of new cast members; and which famous monsters of filmland are looking to make a big-screen comeback:
1. Kevin Smith and Ben Affleck are no Llonger best buds
Though Kevin Smith famously defended his former frequent collaborator Ben Affleck when the star was feeling the hate after his Batman casting, the director says the two aren’t friends anymore. In an interview with Yahoo Movies, Smith — who directed Affleck in such films as Mallrats andJersey Girl — joked that the two hadn’t been in close “in decades.” Elaborating, Smith noted with a laugh “He’s got a wife [Jennifer Garner] that don’t care for me at all. And plus, honestly, he probably don’t care for me at all anymore.”
2. Jessica Alba went Method while filming Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Much of the discussion during Saturday’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For panel focused on Jessica Alba’s gloomy on-set mood. “She showed up so in her character, we thought she hated us,” director Robert Rodriguez told the Comic-Con crowd. Turns out Alba had gone Method to play Nancy, who turns from victim to vigilante in the new film.
3. Winter is coming for our Avengers: Age of Ultron superteam
The thrilling Age of Ultron footage Marvel showed off at the Saturday-night panel hit both ends of the emotional spectrum: It began with a lighthearted look at our superheroes at play, but ended with a dark denouement that saw Tony Stark gazing out over a ruined landscape, where he sees Captain America’s broken shield — and some very dead-looking Avengers.
4. Stephen Colbert is the Middle-Earth geek to rule them all
While Stephen Colbert has oft professed his love of all things J.R.R. Tolkien on The Colbert Report, few were prepared for the full Middle-Earth geekery he showed off on Saturday. To moderate the panel for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Colbert came out in costume, and recited a one-minute Tolkien poem by heart. Even the Rings stars — by now used to all types of fan-ic behavior — were impressed: “This is amazing,” noted Elijah Wood.
5. The Batman v Superman stars were on a very short leash
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Gal Gadot surprised the crowd by showing up to the Warner Bros. presentation — then surprised them again by not saying anything.
6. The Giver author missed her shot at a controversial cameo
The dystopian drama based on the YA novel leaves out one of the book’s most controversial scenes, in which a 12-year old boy bathes a naked elderly woman. At the panel for the movie, the 77-year-old author Lois Lowry joked she would’ve been perfect for that part. “Finally I’m old enough [to play that role] and they cut the scene from the movie,” she said.
7. Mothra, Rodan, Ghidorah, and King King are going to be roaring back to movie screens
Legendary Pictures is betting big on the monster mash: The studio announced a Godzilla sequel, and showed off a teaser that featured age-old lizard foes Mothra, Rodan, and Ghidorah. Meanwhile, they’re also giving the giant ape a comeback: A King Kong movie named Skull Island is set for 2016.
8. Mad Max: Fury Road is going to be (relatively) quiet
Con-goers were wowed by footage from next summer’s Mad Max sequel — you can get a small taste from the official teaser here — but they didn’t hear much dialogue from stars Tom Hardy or Charlize Theron. “There aren’t many words spoken in this movie,” Miller told the Comic-Con crowd Saturday. “People only speak when they have to.
9. Wonder Woman’s new suit is a reinvention, while Batman’s is a throwback
Gal Gadot’s reimagined Wonder Woman look was finally revealed, and there wasn’t a star-spangled blue bikini in sight. Meanwhile, Ben Affleck’s Batman cape and cowl were on display at the convention, reminding fans of Michael Keaton’s stiff neck.
10. Marvel is upping the Ant-y
While there wasn’t the rumored big announcement regarding the next Doctor Strange film, the comic-book movie juggernaut did have a few tricks up its sleeve. The studio confirmed the casting of Lost’s Evangeline Lilly as Hope Pym — the original Ant-Man’s daughter — and The Strain’s Corey Stoll as Yellowjacket, Ant-Man’s nemesis. Marvel finished its presentation by announcing a sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy to come out July 28, 2017.
11. Channing Tatum’s got what you need
But you say he’s just a friend.
Photo credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
