San Diego Comic-Con, organized by the non-profit organization Comic-Con International, has faced unprecedented financial difficulties after canceling its event for two consecutive years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the renowned fan convention successfully returned with a modified event that required masks and vaccinations for attendees. It included highly anticipated panels in Hall H. However, this year’s Comic-Con, scheduled for July 19, is increasingly unlikely to feature those panels. Industry studios are anticipating this outcome. If SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP fail to reach a contract agreement by the June 30 deadline and the guild goes on strike, actors are likely to join writers and showrunners in abstaining from promotional events like Comic-Con. Consequently, studios will face a shortage of participants for panels, disappointing thousands of eager fans.
Studios such as Disney, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Sony Pictures, and Universal Pictures have already decided against hosting panels, disappointing fans who were hoping to interact with the cast and crew of upcoming projects. Netflix, despite recently organizing a large fan event called Tudum in Brazil, will also skip SDCC this year.
Warner Bros has not yet confirmed its attendance at Comic-Con, while its streaming service, HBO Max, plans to bring some animation titles to the convention. Paramount Pictures intends to hold a panel for the animated feature Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, but its streaming platform, Paramount+, has not committed to panels for its Star Trek shows.
NBC will proceed with panels only if an actors’ strike is averted, but its streaming platform, Peacock, may not follow the same protocol. Amazon plans to have a presence at the convention, with the premieres of The Wheel of Time Season 2 and The Boys: Gen V scheduled for the fall, but the details are still being finalized.
San Diego Comic-Con is a major convention that focuses on various aspects of popular culture, including comics, movies, TV shows, and video games. It attracts a diverse range of attendees, including fans, industry professionals, celebrities, and creators. The convention offers panels, screenings, exhibitions, cosplay, and other interactive activities, providing fans with opportunities to engage with their favorite franchises and creators.
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