Just what panels can we expect at San Diego Comic-Con 2018? Founded back in 1970, SDCC has become the most important convention in the world. Panels typically feature a range of the biggest stars, with studios and networks typically saving major reveals for the July weekend.
SDCC 2018 may feel a little slimmed-down when compared to previous years given that several major panels skipping the con. While Marvel will have a presence at SDCC, there’s no Hall H panel, so don’t expect the biggest Marvel Studios announcements. Star Wars, too, is a no-show; the next Star Wars film isn’t due out for a year, so there’s nothing major to promote. HBO’s Westworld and Game of Thrones will also be skipping this year’s SDCC, in this case due to production schedules and air dates.
Related: MCU Phase 4: Predicting Marvel’s 2020, 2021, & 2022 Films
While those are all disappointing absences in the typical SDCC lineup, that doesn’t mean we won’t get a lot of fantastic panels! Here, we’ll go through all the confirmed panels and keep you up-to-date on the latest SDCC news.
- This Page: Confirmed SDCC 2018 Panels
- Page 2: Panels That Could Be At SDCC 2018
- Page 3: Panels That Definitely Aren’t At SDCC 2018
Amazon Prime Video Showcase
Amazon Prime Video brings together six exciting creators to share insights and behind-the-scenes looks into their highly anticipated upcoming Prime Original series. Featured panelists include Carlton Cuse (Lost), the prolific creative force behind Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan; The Tick creator Ben Edlund; Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot), director of Homecoming; world-renowned author Neil Gaiman (American Gods), creator/writer/showrunner of Good Omens; Lore super-producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead); and Naren Shankar, showrunner of The Expanse.
Assassination Nation
Assassination Nation premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January, and is scheduled for release in September this year. The panel will feature the Russo brothers, who will be joined by director Sam Levinson and the film’s stars Bill Skarsgård (It), Suki Waterhouse (Insurgent), Hari Nef, and Abra.
Breaking Bad & Better Call Saul
AMC is hosting a 10-year-anniversary panel for Breaking Bad at SDCC 2018. Creator Vince Gilligan will join main cast members Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt, and R.J. Mitte, along with recurring stars Bob Odenkirk, Giancarlo Esposito, and Jonathan Banks at the panel. Better Call Saul will make its SDCC debut, and will feature Odenkirk, Banks, and Esposito, along with Rhea Seehorn, Michael Mando, and Patrick Fabian, plus Gilligan and co-creator Peter Gould. We can presumably expect clips from season 4, which is due to release in August.
Bumblebee
Surprisingly, the Transformers movie have never been present at SDCC before – but this year that’s going to change. Paramount is running a Hall H panel dedicated to Bumblebee, with panels including director Travis Knight and star Hailee Steinfeld.
CBS Shows
In addition to their Star Trek panel (which we’ll discuss more below), CBS will be giving sneak peaks from a whole host of different shows.
- The Charmed reboot will be well-represented at SDCC 2018, with a panel featuring series stars Melonie Diaz, Sarah Jeffery, Madeleine Mantock, and Rupert Evans along with producers Jennie Snyder Urman, Jessica O’Toole, and Amy Rardin. The panel will also include an exclusive sneak peak of the first episode.
- There’ll be an exclusive screening of Magnum, P.I., with series stars Jay Hernandez and Perdita Weeks and executive producers Peter Lenkov and Eric Guggenheim in attendance.
- Crazy Ex-Girlfriend may be entering its final season, but the show is going out in style. Co-creators Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna will take a trip down memory lane, and no doubt drop many a teaser.
- In addition, The CW will also host a marathon screening of old Twilight Zone episodes.
DCTV and Animation
As expected, there’ll be a strong DCTV presence at SDCC 2018. Saturday will feature panels for Black Lightning, Krypton, Supergirl, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and The Flash. Several new series regulars will be attending the panels, including Supergirl‘s Jesse Rath, Legends of Tomorrow‘s Jes Macallan, and both The Flash‘s Jessica Parker Kennedy and Hartley Sawyer. There’ll also be panels for the animated Young Justice: Outsiders and DC Super Hero Girls. Warner Bros. will use Thursday night to screen the first two episodes of the Legends of Tomorrow spinoff Freedom Fighters: The Ray. On Friday, viewers will be able to attend the world premiere of The Death of Superman, and watch Teen Titans Go To the Movies.
Deadly Class
Based on the popular comic book series by Rick Remender and Wesley Craig, Syfy’s Deadly Class will have a major presence at SDCC 2018. It’s believed series lead Ben Wadsworth and other cast members will be present, along with Remender himself, and possibly even executive producers Joe and Anthony Russo (although they may be unable to attend due to commitments on next year’s Avengers 4). There are reports Syfy is planning to screen either a sizable clip, or possibly even the entire first episode.
Doctor Who
SDCC’s Doctor Who panel will be one of the most eagerly anticipated at this year’s con. Season 11’s new cast will make their first-ever panel appearance at the Doctor Who panel, including new Doctor Jodie Whittaker and new showrunner Chris Chibnall. Other guests will include co-stars Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill, along with executive producer Matt Strevens. The Doctor Who panels have always been a popular part of SDCC, dating all the way back to 2011, when SDCC first welcomed TV shows. This will probably be the most high-profile Doctor Who panel to date.
Dragon Ball Super
Expect never-before seen footage from the new movie, with voice actors Sean Schemmel (Goku) and Christopher Sabat (Vegata).
DuckTales
Disney’s first confirmed panel is dedicated to DuckTales, with an exciting panel including executive producer Matt Youngberg, co-producer/story editor Francisco Angones, art director Sean Jimenez, and series stars Ben Schwartz, Bobby Moynihan, Danny Pudi, and Toks Olagundoye. Disney has promised discussion of season 2, and new footage from never-before-seen episodes.
Fox Movies – Including (At Least) Predator
The X-Men were surprisingly absent from Fox’s SDCC 2017 panel, and that’s likely to be the case again; Fox’s panel this year will be focused on Shane Black’s The Predator (in the same way last year’s was all about Kingsman: The Golden Circle). With the next batch of X-Men films rescheduled to next year, the releases are simply too far away for Fox to air footage from X-Men: Dark Phoenix or New Mutants.
Related: What The Hell Is Going On With The X-Men Franchise?
Fox TV
The Fox TV panels have now been confirmed, and they include:
- The world-premiere of The Passage, a fantasy series inspired by Justin Cronin’s popular novels. Fox is taking advantage of SDCC to screen the entire first episode and put on a panel that includes stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Saniyaa Sidney, Henry Ian Cusick, and Jamie McShane.
- According to Deadline, there’ll also be Hall H panels for Kurt Sutter’s Mayans M.C. and Noah Hawley’s Legion. The M.C. panel is expected to finally announce a release date, with Sutter, co-creator Elgin James, and members of the cast. Legion will feature Hawley alongside stars Dan Stevens and Aubrey Plaza, but isn’t expected to feature any new footage. FX’s slate will also feature a return by sardonic animated spy series Archer.
- A sneak peek at The Gifted season 2, accompanied by a panel. The 2017 panel included Marvel’s Jeph Loeb, executive producer and writer Matt Nix, and cast members such as Emma Dumont and Jamie Chung.
- The Simpsons, American Dad, and Family Guy are all hosting panels too. Many believe the next season of The Simpsons will be the last, and this may be announced at SDCC.
- Seth MacFarlane’s sci-fi dramedy The Orville will return to SDCC, probably with more clips. Last year saw stars Brannon Braga, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, and Adrianne Palicki in attendance, while MacFarlane was available via Skype for a Q&A.
Marvel Studios 10th Anniversary Panel
To the surprise and disappointment of fans, Marvel Studios will not be hosting a Hall H panel this year. However, that doesn’t mean the studio will be absent. According to Kevin Feige, “there will be 10th-anniversary materials and a 10th-anniversary panel.” While attention has been focused on Marvel’s surprising decision not to host a Hall H panel, at least there’ll be some sort of presence. There’s as yet no news as to which stars Marvel will line up for the 10th-anniversary panel.
In addition to this, Ruth. E. Carter – costume designer for Black Panther – will star in her own personal event. The costumes were an absolute highlight in Black Panther, so this will be unmissable for anyone who appreciated this year’s first Marvel movie.
Marvel TV
With Iron Fist Season 2 confirmed to release later this year, it’s hardly a surprise that Marvel TV plan on bringing Finn Jones to SDCC. He’ll apparently be accompanied by other members of the cast, as well as the show’s producers. No doubt Marvel is hoping Iron Fist’s popularity will be buoyed by his extended cameo in Luke Cage season 2. Jon Bernthal will already be attending SDCC as one of the cast of The Walking Dead, so there may be a Punisher cameo in the panel. Cloak & Dagger will also have a panel, including series stars Olivia Holt Aubrey Joseph, so there may be news about season 2.
Marvel Animation will be focused on the upcoming Marvel Rising animated series, and Marvel has put together an all-star panel include Chloe Bennet (Quake in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Milana Vayntrub (Squirrel Girl in New Warriors), and Kathreen Khavari (Ms. Marvel). The panel also includes Sana Amanat, Ms. Marvel’s co-creator. Avengers: Black Panther’s Quest will have a panel too, spotlighting the latest season of the Avengers Assemble animated series.
Netflix
There’ll be a first look at season 7 of Voltron Legendary Defender, with Rhys Darby, Bex Taylor Klaus, executive producer Joaquim Dos Santos, co-executive producer Lauren Montgomery, and story editor Josh Hamilton. All attendees will receive an exclusive poster.
New Line Cinema – IT Chapter 2 & The Nun
New Line Cinema is bringing both IT Chapter 2 and The Nun to SDCC 2018, although few details have yet been revealed about the panels. Creatives and cast members will reportedly be on hand, and there will be “surprise” movie announcements. There won’t be any scenes from IT Chapter 2 – the film only started shooting on July 2 – but there are reports we’ll be seeing “extended scenes” from The Nun.
Nightflyers
Game of Thrones viewers may be disappointed to hear that there won’t be a panel this year, but George R.R. Martin is still expected to be in attendance. Martin wrote the novella that inspired Syfy’s Nightflyers, and is expected to show up for the panel. Fellow EPs Jeff Buhler and Gene Klein along with stars Eoin Macken and Jodie Turner-Smith are believed to be on the panel as well.
Related: Nightflyers First Look Trailer: A Haunted House Story On A Starship
Riverdale
The CW’s Riverdale has hosted an SDCC panel for the last two years, but this year is being upgraded to Hall H. The panel includes KJ Apa, Camila Mendes, Marisol Nichols, Ashleigh Murray, Mark Consuelos, and Vanessa Morgan, alongside producers Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Sarah Schechter and Jon Goldwater.
Stargate
Chris Judge, David Read, Kieran Dickson, and other guests will host a panel discussing the still-growing Stargate franchise. The first 150 people in-line will receive a ticket to the Stargate Origins: Catherine (Feature Cut) Premiere.
Star Trek: Discovery
Star Trek: Discovery is a lock for Hall H at SDCC 2018. Cast members scheduled to appear include Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Shazad Latif, Mary Wiseman, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Mary Chieffo and Anson Mount alongside executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin. No doubt we can expect some teasers for season 2, which has been troubled by more behind-the-scenes drama. This show promises to be a highlight of SDCC 2018, with CBS creating a fully immersive Mirror Universe experience at the nearby Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts Gallery.
Related: Can Zachary Quinto Join Star Trek: Discovery as Spock? It’s Complicated
Star Wars TV
Lucasfilm may not be running a panel dedicated to the movies, but the studio still intend to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Little is known about this panel right now, with only Dave Filoni confirmed to be in attendance.
Stephen King’s Castle Rock and Mr. Mercedes
Although we still don’t know everything Hulu has lined up for their SDCC panel, it’s been confirmed that attendees will get to watch the entire first episode of Stephen King and J.J. Abrams’s Castle Rock. Abrams will be unable to attend due to his Star Wars commitments, but the panel will include Sissy Spacek, Bill Skarsgard, and Melanie Lynskey.
There’ll also be a panel dedicated to the AT&T Audience series Mr. Mercedes, another Stephen King adaptation.
Related: Bill Skarsgard’s Castle Rock Character Connects the Series to Shawshank
Supernatural
Perhaps no show has spent more Sundays in Hall H of SDCC than Supernatural, the longest-running American live-action fantasy TV series. Last year saw the panel introduced with the kind of epic presentation that’s normally reserved for a major movie, with the stars and producers then taking the stage. This year’s Sunday panel will likely bring news of season 14.
The Magicians
In addition to the SDCC debuts of Deadly Class and Nightflyers, Syfy is also hosting panels dedicated to some of their ongoing shows. Syfy’s The Magicians has hosted an SDCC panel for the last two years, with a trailer dropping at SDCC 2015. It’s no surprise to hear the series is returning to SDCC this year. There will also be panels for fan-favorites Wynonna Earp, Van Helsing, and Z Nation. The final Sharknado movie will have a panel all of its own, too.
Nikolodeon
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back in a new Nikolodeon adaptation. The panel will include series voice actors Omar Miller as Raphael, Ben Schwartz as Leonardo, Josh Brener as Donnatello, Brandon Smith as Michaelangelo, Kat Graham as April, and Eric Bauza as Splinter. They’re promising a lot of clips.
Nikolodeon has also confirmed it will be hosting a panel on Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus!, with original series creator Jhonen Vasquez, art director Jenny Goldberg, and voice talents Richard Horvitz (Zim), Rikki Simons (GIR), Wally Wingert (Almighty Tallest Red), and Kevin McDonald (Almighty Tallest Purple). Expect exclusive footage.
Vikings
There’ll be a panel dedicated to HISTORY’s popular Vikings series, with a whole host of stars on hand to discuss the upcoming midseason premiere. Confirmed panelists include Katheryn Winnick (Lagertha), Clive Standen (Rollo), Alexander Ludwig (Bjorn), Alex Høgh Andersen (Ivar the Boneless), Georgia Hirst (Torvi), and Michael Hirst (creator/writer).
The Walking Dead
Collider has confirmed that there will be panels dedicated to both The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead. Jon Bernthal is set to reprise the role of Shane in The Walking Dead season 9, and according to Deadline, he’s expected to appear on the panel. We don’t know anything more about these panels to date; The Walking Dead was originally supposed to be moderated by Chris Hardwick, who has stepped down in the wake of sexual assault allegations.
Warner Bros. – Including Aquaman, Shazam, Wonder Woman 2, Fantastic beasts & More
A core part of the Warner Bros. panel will be dedicated to DC Films. Director James Wan recently revealed that Warner Bros. will drop the first Aquaman trailer at SDCC 2018. We can presumably expect a number of celebrity guests as well; Jason Mamoa has been doing a tour of cons in recent months in order to promote the film. There are rumors the panel will also feature a Shazam! movie teaser, and appearances by Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck and Matt Reeves. Last year, Affleck used SDCC to deny rumors that he was about to end his time as Batman; similar rumors are swirling again now, so if Affleck does show up to SDCC, expect another statement.
With Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald due for release in November this year, the film will surely be another major part of the Warner Bros. panel. The 2017 panel included director David Yates and star Eddie Redmayne, so it will be exciting to see just what Warner Bros. has in store. This could potentially include new clips, or even a second trailer.
Looking beyond this, the studio also has Mowgli, The Nun, and The Lego Movie 2 on the way. There’ll possibly be news about Godzilla: King of the Monsters, given Warner Bros. has traditionally announced major news for the MonsterVerse at SDCC. Warner Bros. also intend to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey with a Thursday panel.
In addition to the TV panels we’ve already mentioned, there will be separate panels for Unikitty! and Legacies. The pilot for NBC’s Manifest will be screened on Saturday, with executive producer Jeff Rake doing a Q&A.
Page 2: Panels That Could Be At SDCC 2018
American Horror Story
American Horror Story always tends to have a strong presence at SDCC, and there’s no reason to believe 2018 will be any different. Last year, the show used an SDCC event to reveal the title of its seventh season, Cult. It’s been confirmed that Season 8 will be a Murder House/Coven crossover, and AHS is expected to use SDCC 2018 to drop some more tantalizing hints.
DC Comics
There are always a number of high-profile comic book panels at SDCC, and this year will likely be no different. Right now, we have no details about any DC Comics panels, but it seems likely there’ll be a focus on Brian Bendis’s new Superman run, Scott Snyder’s Justice League relaunch, and the culmination of the two-year “Rebirth” arc.
Related: The Joker’s Out To Save Batman from Catwoman
Gotham
Gotham has been renewed for an abbreviated fifth season that is expected to feature Scarface, Orphan, and more classic Batman villains. The show has had a presence at SDCC since 2013, with its own panels for the last three years. There’s no reason to believe 2018 will be any different. Last year saw the panel open with an exciting sizzle reel, while the panel included the likes of Ben McKenzie, Robin Lord Taylor, Cory Michael Smith, and Sean Pertwee.
Related: Gotham’s Biggest Mystery Is (Still) The Joker
Lucifer
Lucifer was canceled by Fox during its third season, but was recently picked up by Netflix. While the series has traditionally held an SDCC panel, it’s too early to say whether that will be true this year.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is usually well-represented at SDCC too, and this year news will likely be related to the impending Infinity Wars event. There have been recent hints that another X-Men relaunch is on the way, but it’s more likely Marvel will hold information on that back till nearer to the time, at New York Comic Con in October.
Sony – Including Venom & Into The Spider-Verse
It’s now been confirmed that Sony’s panel will be focused on their next two Spider-Man-centric movies, Venom and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Tom Hardy has been doing the rounds at other major cons, so it’s highly likely he’ll be part of the SDCC panel too. The panel may well touch on other films, such as Holmes and Watson or Searching, but realistically this panel is going to be focused around the spiders.
Stranger Things
Stranger Things has been one of Netflix’s most remarkable success stories to date. The streaming service clearly believes this franchise has the power to become a long-lasting hit, and recently announced they were launching canon novels and a comic book series. Given Netflix’s confidence in the Stranger Things brand, it seems almost inevitable there’ll be a panel at SDCC.
Universal – Including Halloween
Universal Studios has confirmed that its panels will be focused on just two movies; the Halloween 2018 sequel and the eagerly-anticipated Unbreakable sequel Glass. Both films have deep ties to SDCC, so it’s fitting that they will each be making an appearance at the convention before they release later this year and early next year. While Shyamalan has used the convention to debut his films before, attendees shouldn’t expect the filmmaker to do so again with Glass this time around.
Wynonna Earp
According to Deadline, Syfy’s popular comic-book-inspired Western horror series is “pretty much a lock for a Comic-Con return this year.” That’s hardly a surprise; the second season was announced at SDCC 2016, and there was a panel at SDCC 2017 as well.
Page 3: Panels That Definitely Won’t Be At SDCC 2018
Game of Thrones and Westworld
SDCC normally hosts star-studded panels for shows like Game of Thrones and Westworld, but this year both series are skipping the con. The no-show has been attributed to “production schedules and air dates for Game of Thrones and Westworld.” It’s a particularly heavy blow for fans who were hoping for news of the recently-announced secretive prequel spinoff.
Star Wars
With Solo: A Star Wars Story out at theaters now, there’s no new Star Wars film on the radar until December next year. It’s important to note that this isn’t a result of Solo‘s disappointing box office performance; with the long gap between movies, Disney deliberately chose not to even schedule a Star Wars Celebration for 2018. Given rumblings of Star Wars fatigue, this break may be a wise decision.
