Epic Fandom Returns as Comic-Con 2025 Opens

Comic-Con is officially open in San Diego, and with it have come thousands of attendees eager to dress as their favorite pop culture character and buy rare pieces of memorabilia—and this year is one for the record books as far as Comic-Con regulars are concerned.

George Lucas is set to appear at Comic-Con for the very first time this weekend. A hugely influential figure in filmmaking and the father of sci-fi heavyweights like “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones,” Lucas has never before appeared at the event, despite its foundational ties to those enduring blockbusters.

The appearance, according to Chief Communications and Strategy Officer David Glanzer, represents a “true full-circle moment” at this year’s convention. “Nearly five decades ago, Star Wars made one of its earliest public appearances at our convention, with a booth featuring [comic book artist] Howard Chaykin’s now legendary Star Wars poster as a promotional item,” he added.

Lucas is on a panel on Sunday, moderated by Queen Latifah, the event organizers announced on Thursday. The conversation will turn to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which will open in Los Angeles next year. Guests on the panel include celebrated Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, Oscar-winning artist Doug Chiang, who worked on concept art for the Star Wars films and in recent decades helped keep the mythology alive, and Lucas himself.

The museum’s focus will be on “narrative art,” a catch-all term for the art of storytelling through a number of media, including film, comic books, and traditional and digital works. The museum will also feature a comprehensive archive of Lucas’s private collection.

A History of Comic-Con

Comic-Con got its start in 1970 as an informal convention for comic book fans, eventually adding artists and other creators of sequential art to the mix. The weeklong convention quickly evolved into a sprawling celebration of pop culture more generally and now books roughly 130,000 attendees each year. The event, a rare chance for fans to see exclusive previews, hold in-person panels with stars and creators, and attend movie and show premieres, has in recent years been the go-to destination for Hollywood’s hottest properties.

Keynote: The Alien Universe

One of the big announcements for the week is the world premiere of the series “Alien: Earth.” Directed by Noah Hawley, the series is a prequel to Ridley Scott’s landmark 1979 movie “Alien,” and was originally titled “Alien: Vietnam.” It will pick up just a few years before the events of the original film, and explore the larger mythos of the universe and its titular creature. The “Alien: Earth” world premiere will occur tomorrow in Hall H—the center’s largest venue—and will be available to stream in August.

Also among the comic book and sci-fi heavy-hitters is the upcoming movie “Predator: Badlands,” a fresh take on the eponymous sci-fi series. A trailer, or perhaps an extensive look at the film, is to be released on the con’s main stage, which makes sense given the new Predator film’s concept: For the first time, the Predator is the prey. Director Dan Trachtenberg, whose 2022 “Prey” reboot of the series was well-received, will be on the panel. Actors Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who will play the alien Dek, will also be in attendance.

Marvel is Not Coming

Marvel Studios will be scaling back its attendance for the first time in over a decade. The studio has said that its absence from the conference will not be felt in the programming, which largely covers a number of its key properties. In a statement, the studio said that its annual Hall H spot was not happening due to scheduling changes and other issues around next year’s “Avengers” film. Variety reported in March that ongoing production of the movie in the U.K. presented the studio with significant logistical issues in its convention planning.

Still, this isn’t expected to have a noticeable effect on the weekend programming or attendee energy. Sci-fi titans have ramped up appearances this year in a major way, and Hall H programming in particular has remained packed.

Ryan Gosling: Outer Space, and Other Celebrities

A high-profile upcoming movie among Comic-Con attendees is “Project Hail Mary,” based on the book by “The Martian” author Andy Weir. Slated for theatrical release next year, the film follows Ryan Gosling’s character, former schoolteacher Ryland Grace, who awakens alone on a spaceship and finds out he is humanity’s last, best hope. Gosling will join the panel on Saturday, along with the film’s directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who most recently collaborated on the Spider-Verse trilogy.

DC fans also have reason to attend this year’s Comic-Con, with updates on the second season of “Peacemaker” on the docket. The series creator, James Gunn, who will also soon be rebooting the DC movie universe more broadly with the Superman movie, will be at the panel along with the cast, who are expected to share behind-the-scenes footage and new glimpses at the season.

The Week of Cosplay

Dressing as one’s favorite pop culture character is, of course, central to the Comic-Con experience. The line between dressing as a fan and attending a professional convention is a fine one. Tens of thousands will be in the convention center on Saturday, and many will be in full costume, whether they are princesses, warriors, aliens, or superheroes. The convention itself runs until Sunday, July 27.

The chance to see Lucas in person for the first time at Comic-Con, see a planet ravaged by aliens for the first time, or visit comic book, anime, and fantasy booths in hundreds of thousands of square feet of floor space is all part of the fun for this year’s con.