9 Things We Can’t Wait to See at Comic-Con 2015
Superheroes, celebrities, and Jedi Knights from across the galaxy are gathering in San Diego this week for the official start of Comic-Con 2015.
The annual celebration of all things geek kicks off Thursday and is rumored to be jam-packed with news about upcoming movies, TV shows, video games, action figures, and, oh yeah, comic books.
Here are a few of the biggest announcements and events we expect at this year’s Comic-Con.
Conan hosting show from Comic-Con
(teamcoco.com)
Conan O’Brien has never been one to shy away from nerd culture; his Clueless Gamer series is proof of that. So it only makes sense that the gigantic ginger will be hosting his late-night show Conan from the Mecca of geekdom this week.
Guests expected to join Conan during his special Comic-Con run include Frodo Baggins himself, Elijah Wood, as well as cast members from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, Game of Thrones, and The Walking Dead. And on Saturday, July 11, Conan will welcome the cast of an upcoming movie to be announced at Comic-Con. Here’s hoping that Triumph the Insult Comic Dog makes his way to San Diego, too.
Fear the Walking Dead: The zombies are coming
(AMC)
AMC’s The Walking Dead is one of the most watched shows on television. It’s also one of the most engrossing comic series ever made. So no surprise that one of the most anticipated panels of the week will be for Fear the Walking Dead on July 10. The prequel series to The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead will focus on the beginnings of the zombie apocalypse—and the mysterious virus that caused it.
Game of Thrones: You know nothing, Jon Snow
(HBO)
Wait! Before we get into this, if you didn’t see this past season of Game of Thrones, stop reading now. I don’t want to see anyone whining about spoilers in the comments section.
Okay, are they gone? Good.
As I was saying, the (apparent) death of Jon Snow at the end of season five of Game of Thrones left fans of the series speculating about the fate of everyone’s favorite Crow. Did he really die? Will he come back? Who knows?! Chances are we won’t get any answers to those questions at this panel set for July 10, but perhaps we’ll pick up some hints. Any chance to hear more from the denizens of Westeros is worth checking out.
A KFC Comic: Yes, really
(Kentucky Fried Chicken)
What could be more ridiculous than a faux-Southern gentleman hawking fried chicken? How about a comic book starring none other than KFC’s Colonel Sanders? The fried chicken chain will be offering the comic to Comic-Con attendees.
Fortunately, the company seems fully aware of how shameless this marketing strategy looks. Heck, KFC is even going to be setting up life-sized Colonel Sanders Wi-Fi hotspots in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter throughout the week. The only other thing we could hope for is free Popcorn Chicken. Make it happen, KFC.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of a toy line
(DC Comics)
It goes without saying that DC Comics’ upcoming movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will have a huge presence at Comic-Con 2015. And while we’re ridiculously excited to feast our eyeballs on new scenes from the Batman/Superman slugfest, we’re just as pumped to get our grubby little paws on some of the sweet, sweet tie-in action figures.
USA Today says we can expect to see figures (THEY’RE NOT DOLLS!) of the Bat, Supes, and even Themyscira’s own Wonder Woman. Of course, no Batman movie would be complete without a Batmobile toy, and you can bet you’ll see one or two at the big show.
The Hateful Eight: Tarantino heads west (again)
(AP)
Quentin Tarantino is responsible for some of the most iconic films of the past few decades. So any time he’s about to roll out a new movie, you can bet we’re going to pay attention. The Hateful Eight is a western set several years after the end of the Civil War and includes everything from bounty hunters to blizzards. All signs point to this film making huge waves at Comic-Con, and we’ll be sure to check it out during its panel on July 11.
Warcraft: A good video game movie?
(Blizzard Entertainment)
Blizzard’s Warcraft series basically prints money. What began as a popular real-time strategy series has since exploded into a variety of other games, from the unstoppable online game World of Warcraft to the addictive Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft. And now Blizzard is bringing the massive franchise to the big screen with its upcoming Warcraft movie. Expect to see some scenes from the film—and maybe more—during its July 11 panel.
Halo 5: Once more unto the breach
(Xbox.com)
Video games have taken a bit of a backseat to movies and TV shows at Comic-Con lately, but if there’s one gaming franchise that can steal the attention back, it’s Halo 5: Guardians. The panel for the upcoming Xbox One shooter is scheduled for July 10 and could give us a closer look at the story behind Master Chief’s next adventure. We’ve got our plasma rifles locked and loaded.
Star Wars: It’s almost here!
(Starwars.com)
No gathering of geeks is complete without some kind of Star Wars presence. And with Star Wars: The Force Awakens coming to theaters this December, you knew the gang behind the latest installment in the geek-centric movie series was going to make its way to Comic-Con 2015.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the July 10 panel won’t include any new trailers for The Force Awakens, but it will include some behind-the-scene tidbits about the film, as well as new info on the Star Wars comics universe.
Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley or on Google+.
