Most Anticipated Panels at San Diego Comic Con
Ashley Menzel takes a look at her most anticipated panels of San Diego Comic Con 2017. Check out the full schedule here.
Thursday
20th Century Fox
With a description listed as TBA, 20th Century Fox has left us wanting more. Taking a look ahead at their upcoming films, we can guess what we may see at San Diego Comic-Con. Following a massive success in the first installment, 20th Century Fox would be foolish not to capitalize on and feature a panel of Deadpool 2. At the very least, I would expect the first trailer or another teaser trailer to drop at the panel. The next installment of Kingsmen: Golden Circle is set to release in September and should be featured during the panel as well. Other potential films include New Mutants and The Predator if we are making an educated guess.
Anything Goes with John Barrowman
John Barrowman is easily one of the most entertaining and exciting personalities at San Diego Comic Con. His panel has been one of the highlights of my convention experience for the past three years. When John Barrowman says anything goes, you never know what is going to happen, and that is the fun of it!
Netflix: Death Note and Bright
While the online buzz on Death Note is extremely negative, I think it’s interesting that Netflix is bringing the film to SDCC after such online rage. Bright, on the other hand, is a big deal for Netflix because it is the first feature length big budget film they’ve funded. The film has a rumored budget of over 80 million and reunites Will Smith with David Ayer. It is written by Max Landis, who I am a big fan of, but most of his films outside of Chronicle have been box office bombs. It will be interesting to see how it goes. I would expect Netflix to announce a screening of both films at the panel. Netflix has premiered most of their films at various film festivals throughout the year so SDCC seems like the perfect place to premiere their two biggest releases to date.
Friday
iZombie
As a huge iZombie fan, I love their panel every year. The cast and writers are a lot of fun, and we get a look at the upcoming season too. With the electrifying season finale this year, the writers have a lot of blanks to complete, and the panel may get us some of those answers.
Brave New Warriors
The panels that are comprised of a group of different actors from various shows often turn out to be incredibly fun and entertaining. This year’s panel will see David Harbour (Stranger Things), Christopher Meloni (Happy!), Colin O’Donoghue (Once Upon a Time), Richard Rankin (Outlander), Rodrigo Santoro (Westworld), and Ricky Whittle (American Gods). The discussions go anywhere from their experiences on a particular show to the keys of their success in the industry.
The Big Bang Theory
A fan favorite, The Big Bang Theory is back this year and for the first time in a few years, with the entire cast. Following the season finale, fans have lots of questions, and the cast and creators will be there to answer.
Honorable Mentions:
I don’t watch these shows, but I know they are huge, and people are excited for them:
AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead
AMC’s The Walking Dead
HBO’s Game of Thrones
HBO’s Twin Peaks
Saturday
ABC’s Once Upon a Time
This year’s panel should be much different than the previous years considering the mass exodus of a big portion of the cast. While many of the old favorites will be missing, the enthusiastic fan base will be out in force to see what is in store for the characters who are left.
Riverdale
Based on the Archie comics, there is no better a place for Riverdale to be than San Diego Comic Con. My enthusiasm for the show grew as the season progressed, and after an explosive season finale, I am eager to see what the cast and writers have to say about their upcoming second season.
Warner Brothers
Another huge panel, Warner Brothers will give us clips and peeks at their upcoming films. We will likely see Blade Runner 2049 clips and panel, Justice League for sure, and possibly Ready Player One, Aquaman and It.
Entertainment Weekly’s Women Who Kick Ass: Icon Edition with Charlize Theron
Another one of the panels that compile quite a few female actors, this is always a blast to see. Charlize Theron will be heading the panel this year. While there has been no announcement on who will join her, we can only hope Gal Gadot will make an appearance following her incredible Wonder Woman performance.
Stranger Things
Finally, we are going to get more information about the upcoming second season. The cast and creators are set to be present, and I’m sure we will see some exclusive clips.
Marvel Studios
Kevin Feige is set to head the panel which will give us an inside look at the expanding Marvel universe. We can guess that we will see Thor: Ragnarok clips and trailers, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel and Ant-Man and the Wasp. Marvel likes to make a big announcement so we may hear about a significant casting decision for one of their upcoming films. We were introduced to Brie Larson as Captain Marvel last year. Who knows who we will meet this year.
Honorable Mentions:
Again, these are shows that I haven’t kept up with or don’t watch, but I know people love or are anticipating:
Supergirl
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow
Black Lightning
The Flash
Arrow
Westworld
Sunday
Supernatural
The widely popular and long-running show, Supernatural is sure to draw a huge Sunday morning crowd. The fans love the actors, and the actors love their fans. The Supernatural panel will give us a look at the next season, the gag reel from the previous season and a lot of fun.
Doctor Who
Closing out San Diego Comic Con 2017 in Hall H is Doctor Who. As the final episode for Peter Capaldi’s Doctor will air at Christmas, we are anxiously awaiting the announcement of his replacement. This is a prime opportunity for BBC to announce the next Doctor in a big way, who some people even guess will be the first female Doctor. In attendance, we will see Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, Matt Lucas, Michelle Gomez, Mark Gatniss and Steven Moffat. This panel is huge as we say goodbye to Michelle Gomez, Peter Capaldi, and showrunner, Steven Moffat.
