George Lucas Marks Milestone with First Comic-Con Visit

Comic-Con has, for the first time, a rumored attendee who is none other than George Lucas, the creator and director of several major franchises within the pop culture universe. Lucas’s absence from Comic-Con may have been surprising to fans, as his work with Star Wars and Indiana Jones runs deep in Comic-Con’s history. However, Lucas has always been reluctant to attend.

“This year we’re doing a full-circle event because in many ways Star Wars has had a huge impact on narrative world building and visual effects, to not mention the influence it has had on popular culture,” David Glanzer, Comic-Con’s Chief Communications and Strategy Officer, told Time. “Star Wars first made a public appearance at our convention almost 50 years ago, and at that time, there was a booth that was giving away Howard Chaykin’s now legendary Star Wars poster as a promotional item.”

Lucas is scheduled to attend this year’s panel on Sunday. Queen Latifah will moderate the event, which will be about the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which is set to open in Los Angeles next year. Attendees will also include Guillermo del Toro, the renowned Mexican director, and Doug Chiang, an Oscar-winning artist whose work has influenced Star Wars for decades. Lucas, del Toro, and Chiang will talk about the new museum and how it will celebrate illustrated narratives and film through comics, film, and other art, including a large collection that Lucas will personally archive.

Comic-Con Comes to the Mainstream

Comic-Con started very differently in 1970 than it does today. The first event was a small convention for comic book fans, and only took place for one day. Attendance grew with each year, and now Comic-Con annually attracts roughly 130,000 fans to San Diego for its series of events. Fans come to buy and sell costumes and memorabilia, and more than anything else, Comic-Con provides an opportunity to see sneak previews and panels on Hollywood’s buzziest projects.

Aliens and Predators from Outer Space

For some of the most anticipated sneak previews, attendees are looking toward a world premiere of a new series, Alien: Earth. This prequel series to Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise will be directed by Noah Hawley and examines the existing mythology of the story. The series is set just a few years before the original movie’s timeline. It will have a world premiere in Hall H, the convention’s main stage, tomorrow, and should be available on streaming services in August.

Fans can also check out Predator: Badlands, which takes a different look at the long-running science fiction series. One of the big changes? For the first time, the Predator is the prey. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, this new take on the franchise was first conceptualized in 2022 with Prey. At the upcoming panel, Trachtenberg will be joined by Elle Fanning, as well as actor Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who will play the alien Dek. Fans of the film will be looking to see what else is in store for the revamped story.

Marvel Is a No-Show This Year

Marvel Studios is not giving fans as many panels this year. In past years, Marvel was a mainstay with Hall H stage presentations in anticipation of upcoming releases. But because of some moving pieces with Avengers this year, the studio has decided to skip it. The move from Marvel to skip the San Diego convention this year, which was first reported by Variety, was because of some unexpected and persistent production work in the U.K., which made the convention logistically difficult.

Sci-Fi to the Rescue

Sci-fi films will be taking the main stage instead of Marvel. While the comic book universe will be in absentia this year, its sci-fi brethren are gladly taking up some of the slack. Hall H programming looks to remain consistent with the tone of the convention for the rest of the weekend.

Attendees and Hollywood stars Ryan Gosling, Halle Berry, and more are also set to grace the main stage. Gosling is being highlighted for the movie Project Hail Mary. The project was adapted from the book of the same name by Andy Weir, who is also known for writing The Martian. The movie is set to play in theaters in the new year and will star Gosling as former schoolteacher Ryland Grace, who wakes up alone on a spaceship and must save humanity. He will be joined by the directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, both of whom worked on the Spider-Verse trilogy.

Fans will also be in attendance for the upcoming second season of Peacemaker. James Gunn, the creator of the show, will be sharing behind-the-scenes footage and footage from the second season. Gunn will also be joined by the cast and will be working on the studio’s new cinematic reboot of the DC universe with Superman.

Costumes and Community

Movie stars and upcoming projects may get the most headlines, but Comic-Con’s focus is all about the celebration of fandom and community. Costumed fans will show up at the convention center in the thousands to dress as their favorite princess, soldier, alien, and more. The convention will run through Sunday, July 27.

Whether fans are in town to see George Lucas in the flesh at his first Comic-Con appearance, see the first look at an alien-infested planet, or just to geek out on comics and costumes, the convention will have a little something for everyone.