The 2023 San Diego Comic-Con, set to run July 20-23, suddenly looks sparse on the presentation front.
Likely due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, which has stalled many productions and pulled creators out of promotional cycles, many studios have opted out of attending the typically star-studded fan event. Adding to the potential woes for Comic-Con: the Screen Actors Guild has voted to authorize its own strike if it cannot reach a new TV and film contract deal before June 30. Whether or not SAG strikes a deal in time, both movie and TV studios are opting to buck the annual trend of trekking to San Diego to show off the next few years of productions.
With this possible strike looming, and seemingly no imminent end to the writers’ strike, it’s also possible that many of the projects that may have made appearances at SDCC this year might have their release dates delayed anyway, giving studios even fewer reasons to jump on stage to show them off.
Here are all the major studios and what their plans for SDCC are this year, as well as the projects they have on the horizon. We’ll update this list as we hear more.
Out: Disney (Marvel, Lucasfilm)
Even with some big releases on the horizon for both Marvel and Star Wars, Disney will reportedly pass on a big Hall H presentation. Marvel Comics will likely stick to plans and have a booth on the convention floor, though Lucasfilm’s presence at SDCC was expected to be sparse since its splash at Star Wars Celebration in May.
Upcoming Projects:
- Untitled Star Wars movies
- Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
- Blade
- Fantastic Four
- Ahsoka
- Loki season 2
- X-Men Reboot
- Thunderbolts
- The Marvels
- Echo
- Agatha: Coven of Chaos
- Daredevil: Born Again
- Ironheart
- Deadpool 3
- Captain America: Brave New World
Out: HBO
HBO will not host a panel at SDCC, and it remains unclear if it will have a booth.
Upcoming projects:
- House of the Dragon season 2
- The Last of Us season 2
In: Max
Max, the streaming behemoth that houses HBO’s content, may still attend the event, with plans to show off its adult animation slate.
Upcoming projects:
- Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake
- Ten Year Old Tom
- Young Love
- Velma season 2
- Scavengers Reign
- DC’s Creature Commandos
Out: Sony Pictures
Polygon has heard from sources that Sony Pictures will not host any formal panels and currently does not have plans to have a presence at the con.
Upcoming projects:
- Gran Turismo
- Kraven the Hunter
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2
- Madame Web
- Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse
Out: Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures will not be hosting a panel, though Universal Products & Experiences and Amblin Entertainment announced that it will have an on-the-ground Jurassic Park activation to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film.
Upcoming projects:
- The Exorcist: Believer
- Five Nights at Freddy’s
- Migration
Out: Netflix
Netflix won’t host a panel at SDCC, though it’s likely that it will have a booth on the show floor.
Upcoming projects:
- One Piece
- 3 Body Problem
- Rebel Moon
In: Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. is still planning on attending, with plans to reportedly showcase James Gunn-led DC Universe movies and other upcoming movies like Dune: Part 2. Of course, DC is expected to show up to rep comics throughout the convention.
Upcoming projects
- Superman: Legacy
- The Brave and the Bold
- The Authority
- Swamp Thing
- Dune: Part 2
- The Batman: Part 2
In: Paramount Pictures
Paramount will have at least one panel, for the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The animated movie is out in August. There are no other announced plans as of yet, not even for Paramount Plus’ Star Trek shows — usually a Comic-Con staple.
Upcoming projects:
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Undecided: NBC/Peacock
According to reports, NBC will only have panels if actors aren’t on strike, so we won’t know for sure until July.
Upcoming projects:
- The Continental
- The Community movie
In-ish: Amazon
Amazon is likely to have some sort of presence at SDCC, be it for the upcoming season of The Wheel of Time or for The Boys spinoff. Whether they’re panels or just displays on the convention floor remains unclear.
Upcoming projects:
- Wheel of Time
- The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2
- God of War
- Fallout
- Gen V
- Blade Runner 2099
Undecided: Apple TV Plus
Apple has been pretty mum about any plans either way.
Upcoming projects:
- Severance season 2
- Manhunt
- Sugar
- The Beanie Bubble
- Killers of the Flower Moon
In: Funko!
Funko will be attending SDCC and is planning a Hall H presentation as usual. Nothing can stop Funko.
Upcoming projects:
- Funko Pops
- Rewind collectibles
- Funko Games
- Mondo posters
Check back for additional updates as Comic-Con plans develop…