It looks like more changes are coming to San Diego Comic Con this year. Hall H is going to be losing a little bit of its luster this year as HBO and Marvel will not be returning. While this is clearly a shock, the big question on everyone’s minds at this point is who will fill the void. SDCC is in for some changes this year, which only means that it’s time for other companies to step up. I’m looking at you DC!
Variety released the following statement from HBO on Thursday, “Due to production schedules and air dates for ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Westworld,’ these series will not be presented at San Diego Comic-Con this summer. HBO has a longstanding relationship with SDCC, and we are very grateful for the fans’ enthusiastic response over the years. We look forward to returning in the future.â€
While this makes sense for their production schedules, it doesn’t mean it’s going to hurt any less. Game of Thrones has been a staple at SDCC for years. Even if they couldn’t show any footage, fans would have still loved a chance to see their favorite stars. Game of Thrones is currently filming their eighth and final season. I hope it’s safe to assume that they will return next year for possibly the final time. Westworld’s sophomore season will air its finale on June 24th, which means that there really wouldn’t be any new footage to show. Again, fans would most likely still enjoy seeing the Westworld stars on that Hall H stage, so hopefully HBO will bring them back next year.
As if this weren’t enough of a blow, Marvel has also confirmed to Screen Rant that they are skipping Hall H this year. Kevin Feige confirmed that Marvel will still have a presence at Comic Con, but they will not grace Hall H for any panels. This year is the 10th anniversary for Marvel and is interesting that this is the year they chose not to do Hall H. This is the end of an era, and fans would have probably loved to celebrate with them.
So now, what’s going to fill the void for Hall H for all of the fans who fought tooth and nail for Saturday passes? Solo: A Star Wars Story has already been released in theaters, so is Disney going to come to Hall H? Will they be bringing news or footage from Episode 9? Disney is not having their own convention, D23, this year, so this may be their best chance for an appearance.
But what many fans are hoping for is for DC to step up big. Aquaman is set to be released in December, which means they should be able to release one heck of a Comic Con trailer for a crowd at Hall H. Plus, Shazam and Wonder Woman are in production, so they should be able to tease something, right? At this point, the DCEU looks pretty confusing. There are so many rumors, movies that are confirmed and movies that have been cancelled. SDCC would be the perfect place for the DCEU to give some clarity to their fans. They’ve struggled before with announcing movies years in advance, but if they could nail down the next couple of years, it could reinvigorate fans of DC.
San Diego Comic Con is still over a month away, and there have already been some major announcements, most notably what won’t be coming this year. I, for one, am hoping for some good news to come ASAP, since this is shaping up to be an interesting year for the comic convention.
