The 9 Biggest Comic-Con Panels We’re Most Excited for This Year

San Diego Comic-Con is back in person for the first time since 2019

Black Adam
DC/Warner Bros.

Fans are descending upon San Diego this week for the first in-person Comic-Con in three years. The 2022 San Diego Comic-Con will play host to a bevy of fandoms, but also a number of studios and networks showcasing highly anticipated upcoming films and shows.

To that end, with TheWrap’s dedicated team en route to San Diego, we wanted to highlight some of the biggest panels we’re looking forward to this year. They range from traditional staples like Marvel Studios’ Hall H extravaganza, to first looks at new series, to fond farewells to Comic-Con regulars and more.

Take a look below, and stay tuned to TheWrap for our own Comic-Con coverage over the next few days. San Diego Comic-Con 2022 runs from July 21-24.

The Sandman

Netflix The Sandman Trailer Release Date Announcement
(L to R) Tom Sturridge as Dream, Kyo Ra as Rose Walker. (Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2022)

Saturday, 2:30 – 3:30pm PT – Hall H

Can you successfully adapt Neil Gaiman’s sprawling, 75-issue saga of life, death, love, literary theory, comparative mythology and – yes – Shakespeare fan fiction – for live-action drama? We sure as hell hope so, because after literal decades of people trying, it’s finally happening. There are so many details yet to be announced – Hob Gadling? Destruction? Puck? – and we’re expecting a lot come Comic-Con time. – Ross A. Lincoln

Marvel Studios and Marvel Studios Animation

Marvel Studios Logo
Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios: Saturday, 5:00 – 6:00pm – Hall H

Marvel Studios Animation: Friday, 11:45am – 1:15pm – Ballroom 20

Marvel has two major panels this year, both of which are ones to keep an eye on. On Saturday evening, as is tradition, Marvel Studios will close out the day with a major panel teasing their upcoming slate of films (and possibly live-action TV shows). This is the same panel where Mahershala Ali was announced as Blade in 2019, where Mark Ruffalo was revealed to be playing Bruce Banner and where Joss Whedon announced that Ultron would be the villain of “Avengers 2.” While we expect “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” to be a big focus of this year’s panel, there are no doubt plenty more surprises in store. But that’s not all! Marvel Studios Animation gets its own panel on Friday where “What If…?” Season 2, “Marvel’s Zombies” and the highly anticipated “X-Men ‘97” are all due to be showcased. – Adam Chitwood

Warner Bros. Theatrical

black-adam-dwayne-johnson
Warner Bros.

Saturday, 10:15am – 11:15am – Hall H

Another tradition, Warner Bros. Pictures will be kicking off Saturday in Hall H by showcasing a pair of its DC titles: Dwayne Johnson’s “Black Adam” and the animated feature “DC’s League of Super-Pets,” also starring Johnson. It’s unclear how much (if any) of the future of DC’s slate will be teased during the panel (all eyes will be on whether a new look at “The Flash” movie might arrive), but Johnson working the Hall H crowd for his first-ever superhero role is reason enough to be enthused. – AC

House of the Dragon

HBO

Saturday, 11:30am – 12:30pm – Hall H

HBO has been incredibly patient in deciding how to continue the “Game of Thrones” franchise, even scrapping a potential spinoff after shooting an entire pilot. But the next story is here in the form of “House of the Dragon,” which goes back a couple hundred years to a time when the Targaryens were on top, and this Hall H panel is the show’s opportunity to sell fans on why this prequel story is worth a return to Westeros. – AC

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

the-lord-of-the-rings-rings-of-power-galadriel
Morfydd Clark as Galadriel in “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (Prime Video)

Friday, 10:30am – 12:00pm – Hall H

Amazon reportedly spent nearly a half a billion dollars on the first season of its epic “Lord of the Rings” series, which is Prime Video’s answer to “Game of Thrones.” The story expands on the world and characters of J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic books, but takes viewers well into the past to chronicle Sauron’s first rise to power. Just how big is this show? We’ll get a better idea during this Comic-Con panel, but with five seasons planned and Amazon all-in, this is likely the first of many SDCC panels to come. – AC

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

dungeons-and-dragons-honor-among-thieves
Paramount Pictures

Thursday, 12:00pm – 1:00pm – Hall H

A “Dungeons & Dragons” movie has been made before, but this one’s different. For one, it’s got Chris Pine, who has proved through projects like “Wonder Woman” and “Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later” that he’s more than happy to be the butt of the joke. And for another, this film is directed by “Game Night” filmmakers and “Spider-Man: Homecoming” co-writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. The duo have a knack for fun and cinematic storytelling, so here’s hoping the right mix of adventure and comedy coalesce in this medieval take on the fan-favorite board game. – AC

Star Trek Universe

From left, Ethan Peck as Spock, Anson Mount as Pike and Dan Jeannotte as Samuel Kirk in the “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” season 1 finale. (Marni Grossman/Paramount+)

Saturday, 12:45pm – 2:15pm – Hall H

Those of you thirsting for more after the excellent first season of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” this is your moment, as the first-ever “Star Trek Universe” panel (Paramount just unveiled that moniker for the franchise this year) is getting a full 1.5 hours in Hall H. Announced plans include the cast and creative behind “Star Trek: Picard” (which almost certainly means the full Next Generation crew), “Star Trek: Lower Decks” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.” But there’s sure to be other surprises, too. Here’s hoping we get some details about that Section 31 show – and as long as we’re wish-casting, a Benjamin Sisko show, too. – RL

Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire

Saturday, 2:00pm – 2:45pm – Ballroom 20

As with Netflix’s “The Sandman,” this AMC show is based on a beloved fantasy series that defined a generation and a genre. Expectations are huge, and no doubt AMC will be doing its utmost to make them higher. We just hope the series does “Queen of the Damned” right. – RL

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