Comic-Con Celebrates Star Wars Legacy with Lucas

Comic-Con 2022 has officially begun in San Diego. Tens of thousands of fans of movies, comics, video games, and other pop culture have descended upon the annual convention from around the world—and this year, Comic-Con has a very special first-timer to cheer for.

“This year is a big full-circle moment for the convention,” David Glanzer, Chief Communications and Strategy Officer of Comic-Con, said in a statement. “Nearly five decades ago, Star Wars made one of its earliest public appearances at our convention, as did a booth with [comic book artist] Howard Chaykin’s now legendary Star Wars poster as a promotional giveaway.”

Comic-Con on the Rise

Comic-Con started humbly in 1970 as a gathering of comic book fans, and now it’s the world’s preeminent pop culture destination. The annual convention in San Diego is now held at the San Diego Convention Center, and in recent years it has seen around 130,000 attendees. Comic-Con now boasts a slate of major programming and celebrity attendance for major Hollywood projects. The event has also been known for being the site of major announcements, world premieres, and sneak peeks at blockbusters and fan-favorite series.

Alien and Predator in the Spotlight

One such series from today’s panels is “Alien: Earth.” It’s a prequel series to Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi film “Alien” that will find its world premiere at Comic-Con. The upcoming series, helmed by Noah Hawley, is an expansion of the “Alien” franchise and “focuses on the moments and mythos of the universe, taking place just a few years before the events of Ridley Scott’s classic,” the Comic-Con website states.

Also making a splash on the first day of Comic-Con is the upcoming feature film “Predator: Badlands.” The “Predator” series will continue with the upcoming film, but in this new feature, the titular alien hunter from outer space is finally getting a taste of his own medicine. “Predator: Badlands” is set to be one of the year’s biggest and most eagerly awaited sci-fi films from the long-running franchise. This prequel series, starring Ellen Hernandez and Simone Bliss, has been reimagined with a contemporary edge. The filmmakers at the center of the project are in attendance, including director Dan Trachtenberg, who is known for giving the “Predator” series a fresh coat of paint with 2022’s “Prey.”

Marvel Steps Back, Sci-Fi Steps Up

Marvel Studios won’t have as big of a presence this year as it did at previous Comic-Cons. Marvel has reportedly decided to skip its customary Hall H slot, though Variety reported that the decision was because Marvel released the new “Avengers” film. Filming is still ongoing in the United Kingdom, leading to some logistical issues for the Marvel film studio.

Marvel’s absence, however, has not brought any energy out of Comic-Con. Sci-fi and genre franchises have quickly jumped in to replace the Marvel films’ presence at the show.

Ryan Gosling, Peacemaker, and Other Star-Studded Panels

Comic-Con’s announcement of “Project Hail Mary,” an upcoming film based on the Andy Weir book of the same name, has also captured fans’ attention. Weir is best known for his book The Martian, a 2011 sci-fi book about an astronaut who is left for dead on Mars by his crew and needs to find a way to survive and get home. Project Hail Mary will premiere in theaters next year and will star Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a former schoolteacher who awakens on a spaceship by himself with no memory and is the last hope for the survival of Earth. He is shown discovering both the planet’s fate and his own. The panel to discuss the new project, set for Saturday, will feature Gosling and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film studio duo who have worked on the Spider-Verse trilogy.