Last weekend, San Diego Comic-Con was back in-person for the first time since 2019, and it was filled with some earth-shattering announcements from the biggest pop-culture properties in the world. From Marvel revealing its Multiverse Saga that will culminate with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2025 to exciting new details and footage from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon, there was no shortage of can’t-miss moments throughout the weekend.
It can be a lot to take in all that happened during San Diego Comic-Con 2022, so we thought we’d present you with the biggest winners that helped make this one show we won’t ever forget!
Marvel Studios Unveiled The Multiverse Saga
Following Thor: Love and Thunder, there was talk that Marvel needed a Phase 4 goal as many of the MCU’s films and TV shows, while mostly well received, didn’t have a Thanos-level threat or the same level of connectedness that the Infinity Saga had. After San Diego Comic-Con 2022, those worries should now be thrown out as The Multiverse Saga has been officially revealed.
We were expecting a big showing from Marvel as this was the studio’s first appearance since 2019, but the Hulk Smash that came out of its Hall H panel will be long remembered. Not only did Marvel confirm that She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would bring an end to Phase 4, but the studio also shared a roadmap through 2025 that’s now called The Multiverse Saga and will encompass Phases 4, 5, and 6.
Oh, and the big finale for The Multiverse Saga? Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. This is very exciting as that first Avengers film clearly states the importance of Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror in the future of the MCU. After his variant made a masterful first impression in Loki, Kang appears set to follow Thanos as one of the biggest threats our heroes have ever faced. Secret Wars is also big news as it is one of Marvel’s most beloved comic runs. The original tale brought together the Avengers, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four while also introducing concepts like the symbiote that would later become known as Venom. Meanwhile, the more recent version of Secret Wars is a multiverse-spanning tale that reshaped the Marvel Universe permanently.
As if that wasn’t enough, Marvel shared new footage for She-Hulk that teased an appearance by Charlie Cox’s Daredevil (who will also star in Daredevil: Born Again in Spring 2024) and the long-awaited first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever that introduced us to Tenoch Huerta’s Namor the Sub-Mariner and gave us a tease of who will follow the late Chadwick Boseman in becoming the Black Panther.
We’re almost done, we promise, but Marvel also showed those in attendance at Hall H the first footage of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Kang the Conqueror’s introduction in that film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Secret Invasion. It also gave us a ton of new release dates for the most-anticipated films and movies in the MCU, including Fantastic Four, Blade, Captain America: New World Order, and Thunderbolts, the latter of which will end Phase 5 on July 26, 2024.
It’s safe to say Marvel is one of the biggest winners of San Diego Comic-Con this year as the studio shared so much of its future and gave us endless amounts to talk and theorize about, and that’s all without its animation projects…
Marvel Animation Teased a Bright and Colorful Future for the X-Men, Spider-Man and More
Marvel’s live-action Hall H panel was one for the ages, but its animation panel earlier on in the show featured some great moments and a deeper dive into the future of another side of the MCU. First up was the first trailer for I Am Groot, which is a series of shorts headed to Disney+ on August 10, and it was an adorable look at some of the adventures our favorite Guardians of the Galaxy tree friend will soon go on.
While that was the only footage shared wide, we learned more details about Spider-Man: Freshman Year and who we can expect to see in the upcoming animated series that follows Spidey’s adventures as a freshman in high school. Alongside Charlie Cox’s Daredevil, who appears to have a big role to play in the MCU going forward, it was also confirmed that some of the villains set to show up will be Dr. Octavius, Chameleon, Speed Demon, Scorpion, Butane the Pyromaniac, Harry Osborn and Amadeus Cho.
Marvel’s What If… ? was confirmed to be returning in early 2023 with stories featuring Captain Carter, Steve Rogers as the Hydra Stomper, Black Widow, Thor Ragnarok's Hela, Young Star-Lord and Ego, The Scarlet Witch, Mandarin, and more. Marvel Zombies, which was born out of an episode of What If… ?, got a few more details, including that we’d be seeing undead versions of Captain America (again), Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, Ghost, Abomination, Captain Marvel, and Okoye.
X-Men ‘97 closed out the show and Marvel shared that it will premiere on Disney+ in Fall 2023 and will feature plenty of classic characters like Rogue, Beast, Gambit, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Storm, Jubilee, Cyclops, Cable, Bishop, Forge, Morph, NIghtcrawler, and Sunspot. Magneto will be the new leader of the X-Men in the show with Xavier off-world, and the team isn’t in for the smoothest ride as they will have to face off against Sentinels, Mr. Sinister, White Queen, Sebastian Shaw of the Hellfire Club, and more.
The Rings of Power Changed the Conversation
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set to welcome us all back to Middle-earth on September 2, and Comic-Con helped share why it's worth a return trip to the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien. The Rings of Power is set thousands of years before the Fellowship of the Ring, but there will be plenty of touchstones for those who fell in love with the adventures depicted in the books and Peter Jackson’s films.
The thing is, up until this point, The Rings of Power hasn’t seemed all that exciting. The trailers were fairly “eh,” for starters. But that changed at the convention, as did the buzz around the show.
The trailer released during SDCC showed what seemed to be the birth of a Balrog, which might be Durin’s Bane – the very Balrog we saw in The Fellowship of the Ring. A look at the formation of a cursed blade from Mordor was also shown, and one of the biggest talking points was a few shots of a character who may be Sauron himself in the disguise of the fair Annatar.
Those who were in the room for The Rings of Power’s panel were treated to five scenes not released to the public, and they showed everything from more shots of the beautiful city of Númenor, to a competition between Elrond and Prince Durin IV set in what appears to be Khazad-dûm, to Daniel Weyman’s The Stranger crash-landing on Middle-earth in what leads to a magical and fiery awakening.
All of these details from San Diego Comic-Con, the footage we’ve previously been shown, the seemingly endless budget, and the expansive history of the 3500-year Second Age has us now more excited for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power than ever before.
House of the Dragon Is Ready to Take the Iron Throne Again
Beginning with a trailer released right before San Diego Comic-Con opened its doors, HBO and the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon were ready to show why those who may have been upset with the original’s ending shouldn’t miss out on this story filled with dragons and Targaryens.
House of the Dragon, which is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, will tell a time-jumping story about the fall of one of the great houses of Westeros and how a family with 17 dragons and all the power in the world managed to nearly lose it all.
George R.R. Martin was also on hand to discuss the series, and he revealed that he has seen nine of the 10 episodes of the first season and has loved what he’s seen. Furthermore, book fans will be happy to know that he has declined all cameos in Game of Thrones spinoffs until he is finished with The Winds of Winter!
House of the Dragon has a lot of work to do to win back some fans of Game of Thrones and also become a foundation for “other possible stories” in Westeros. The series also received a few bonus points from us as its immersive experience at SDCC allowed fans to explore Dragonstone, touch dragon eggs, and even sit upon the Iron Throne. If their Comic-Con showing was any indication, the show appears to be on track to once again claim the Iron Throne.
As He Always Does, Keanu Reeves Won Our Hearts
Keanu Reeves is always a winner in our hearts, but this time he was one of the big winners of San Diego Comic-Con too. Reeves was already scheduled to tease the future of his comic book series BRZRKR, but his stock rose even higher when he crashed Collider’s Directors on Directing panel to help unveil the first trailer for John Wick 4.
As for BRZRKR, which follows the life of an immortal demigod who is currently working for the US government and looking for a way to end his unnaturally long life, Reeves and BOOM! Studios helped reveal that Netflix’s anime series based on the comic is being planned for two seasons.
Deep Space Nine Returns… in Animation, and More Star Trek Wins
Star Trek came to San Diego Comic-Con with a mission to reveal more about the future of the franchise that has gone where no one has gone before. Star Trek: Discovery was mostly absent, but Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Star Trek: Lower Decks all had an impressive showing, and Lower Decks may have been the best of the best.
Fans of Deep Space Nine will be happy to know that in Season 3 the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos will be making a visit to the space station that was the home of Captain Benjamin Sisko and the series of the same name. Furthermore, Lower Decks’ Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler will be making the jump to Strange New Worlds’ second season in a major crossover that will blend the worlds of live-action and animation.
Jean-Luc Picard made a big splash at SDCC when a new teaser and character posters for Star Trek: Picard’s third season showed the upcoming reunion of many of the beloved crew members of Star Trek: The Next Generation, including Geordi La Forge, Worf, Dr. Beverly Crusher, Deanna Troi, and Commander William Riker. All may not be well with these life-long friends, however, as it appears there may be some tension between them.
Speaking of Star Trek…
William Shatner Unfiltered Is the Best Kind of William Shatner
William Shatner is as big of a star as any he travelled past in Star Trek, and he made his presence at Comic-Con felt across the galaxy, even that one far, far away. During his panel, Shatner had a few choice words to say about both Star Wars and Star Trek. To begin, he spoke about that other Star-named franchise, saying “F*** Star Wars… but not Mark Hamill.” (The comment about Hamill was because it was also confirmed that Shatner will join Hamill in Masters of the Universe: Revolution.)
His criticisms didn’t stop there, however, as he also commented on the current state of Star Trek and said that its creator Gene Roddenberry “would be turning in his grave at some of this stuff.” We might not agree with him on all of his takes, but there’s no denying he knows how to get the SDCC spotlight to shine on him, even at 91 years old.
When Shatner speaks, the world listens, and they were listening close this weekend when he appeared on IGN’s live show to analyze Paul Wesley’s Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – and respond wonderfully to an innocent flub on our set.
Rick and Michonne Return
It may be hard to believe, but The Walking Dead is coming to an end this year after a legendary 12-year run. On October 2, The Walking Dead’s final episodes will begin to air and will see our heroes go to war with the Miltons, the Commonwealth, and potentially a smart zombie.
Those who can’t imagine a world without this particular zombie apocalypse have nothing to fear though, as AMC revealed an exciting glimpse of the future of the franchise that will feature a spinoff show led by Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira’s Michonne that will continue the “journey and love story” of these two characters who left The Walking Dead proper years ago.
In addition to this tease and a trailer for The Walking Dead’s final episodes, AMC gave fans the first full-length trailer for the upcoming anthology series Tales of the Walking Dead.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Looks Like a Hilarious Trip to Everyone’s Favorite RPG
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves kicked off San Diego Comic-Con in style with an immersive tavern experience that brought fans into the world of the upcoming film by providing a 20-minute walkthrough filled with D&D creatures and characters, drinkable Dragon Brew, and even a few surprise moments.
We were also gifted the first trailer for Honor Among Thieves and got to see for ourselves a bit of the adventure Hugh Grant, Michelle Rodríguez, Chris Pine, Justice Smith, and Sophia Lillis will be undertaking on March 3, 2023. The trailer was also filled to the brim with Easter eggs and hidden references to the RPG, and clips shown to those during the film’s panel revealed a competition with the classic 1980s cartoon party and a maze that challenged our heroes with Displacers Beasts, a Mimic, and a Gelatinous Cube.
This take on D&D is meant to be a joyous adventure and invoke the likes of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and it at the very least lived up to that promise at SDCC.
Comic Books!
Yes, they still have comics at Comic-Con!
Comic fans had plenty to celebrate this past weekend, including Marvel’s tease of the impending climax of Jason Aaron’s Avengers saga and the next big project for House of X’s Jonathan Hickman. A full reveal was not in the cards for Hickman’s project, but a short tease did ask, “what happens when the powers that be meet the natural order of things?”
DC and Image Comics also confirmed that Batman and Spawn will once again crossover in a 48-page one-shot special written by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and drawn by Greg Capullo.
In a world that is filled to the brim with comic book stories brought to the big and small screen, it’s always fantastic to know more great stories are on the way from some of the brightest minds in the biz.
San Diego Comic-Con 2022 Lives
San Diego Comic-Con returned in a big way in 2022 and proved that two years of no in-person shows wasn’t enough to stop the momentum of one of the biggest entertainment conventions in the world. With virtual events like DC Fandome and Netflix’s TUDUM dominating the entertainment landscape thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were those that questioned whether an in-person show like SDCC would ever be what it once was.
With big reveals, amazing cosplay, and wonderful collectibles from the franchises we love the most, San Diego Comic-Con itself proved to be a big winner and proof that there really is no place like home.
Honorable Mentions
There were many more great moments at San Diego Comic-Con, and we thought we’d discuss a few who may not have won the weekend, but still put on a respectable show nonetheless.
DC gave us a new trailer for Black Adam, complete with an electrifying entrance by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in full outfit, and the first full trailer for Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Additionally, Batgirl got the spotlight in a gameplay trailer for the upcoming Gotham Knights game. All of this amounted to a good showing, albeit one that went about as we expected and featured nothing… well… super.
Multiverse, the Super Smash Bros.-esque Warner Bros. crossover game, surprised fans by unveiling that NBA superstar LeBron James and Rick & Morty would be joining its roster later this year.
Netflix’s The Sandman got a new trailer, as did Anne Rice’s Interview With a Vampire from AMC. The creators and cast of Apple TV+’s Severance shared a few behind-the-scenes details from its first season, and we got a first-look teaser trailer for Disney’s National Treasure reboot.
For everything else that happened at San Diego Comic-Con, be sure to check out our roundup of everything announced during the big show. And be sure to let us know in the comments what your favorite moment was from SDCC and who your biggest winners were!
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
