Key points
- Comic-Con attracts 130,000 fans eager for Hollywood insights
- Marvel skips Hall H presentation due to filming conflicts
- Ryan Gosling stars in Project Hail Mary sci-fi film
ISLAMABAD: Comic-Con kicks off on Thursday in San Diego, California, with excitement high as fans look forward to George Lucas’s first-ever appearance at the event.
One of the highlights will be the world premiere of the prequel series Alien: Earth, expanding on the iconic 1979 film Alien.
‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas to appear at Comic-Con for the first timehttps://t.co/awquGaf2aQ pic.twitter.com/UfehAUGIyQ
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 24, 2025
Since its humble beginnings in 1970 as a niche gathering, Comic-Con has grown into a major pop culture festival attracting 130,000 attendees eager to hear from Hollywood stars and directors about upcoming projects, according to AFP.
This year is particularly special with legendary filmmaker Lucas attending for the first time, despite his work on Star Wars and Indiana Jones being central to Comic-Con culture.
Oscar-winning artist
On Sunday, Lucas will join Mexican director Guillermo del Toro and Oscar-winning artist Doug Chiang to discuss the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, set to open in Los Angeles next year and dedicated to illustrated storytelling and the Lucas archive.
David Glanzer, Chief Communications and Strategy Officer, called Lucas’s presence a “full-circle moment,” noting the enduring influence of his storytelling on the Comic-Con community.
Comic-Con ready!
Cosplay ready!
let’s go!Stepping off the @sdmts trolley to @Comic_Con. #SDCC2025 #SDCC25 pic.twitter.com/RPb46CJyBq
— ChrisMorrow @Comic_con Curator (@morrowchris) July 23, 2025
Marvel Studios, however, will have a reduced presence this year, skipping its usual big Hall H presentation due to scheduling conflicts related to the new Avengers film being shot in the UK, reports France 24.
Promising new insights
Nonetheless, Hall H remains a hotspot with the Alien: Earth pilot premiering on Friday, directed by Noah Hawley. Also, on Friday, the Predator: Badlands panel will feature director Dan Trachtenberg and stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, promising new insights into the franchise.
Saturday will see Ryan Gosling and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller showcase Project Hail Mary, a sci-fi film about a space mission to save Earth, based on Andy Weir’s novel. Fans can also expect sneak peeks of Peacemaker season two with James Gunn and cast members.
Comic-Con runs from Thursday, 27 July, through Sunday.
