San Diego Comic-con (SDCC) sells out every year. And this year there were over 120,000+ in attendance. So how hard was it to get into the panels I wanted to see? Let’s discuss.
Of course, your experience depends on what is you want to see. And how patient and organized you are. But for three days, Thursday thru Saturday, without any kind of press privileges, here’s what happened with me. I waited in long lines, like everyone does, and I attended ALL 14 panels I set out to see.
HERE IS THE COUNTDOWN…
1. Percy Jackson – The demigods were back! Percy Jackson and the Olympians returned to Hall H for an epic look ahead at the highly anticipated second season. Series stars Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, Charlie Bushnell, Dior Goodjohn, and Daniel Diemer, alongside executive producers Jon Steinberg, Craig Silverstein, and Dan Shotz, engaged in a conversation packed with behind-the-scenes stories and a deep dive into the new season, premiering this December on Disney+.
2. Rob Reiner (director of This Is Spinal Tap, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, Misery, When Harry Met Sally, and the upcoming Spinal Tap II) and Paul Feig (director of Bridesmaids, A Simple Favor, Jackpot!, The Housemaid, and creator of Freaks and Geeks) took part in a wide-ranging and in-depth discussion about the magic of directing and projects past, present, and future.
3. Blumhouse 5 Nights at Freddy’s- JASON BLUM, and the stars of Blumhouse’s Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 took us behind the curtain of the terrifying new chapter from the highest-grossing horror film of 2023.
4. Outlander – After a Bagpipe serenade, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin, and executive producers Matthew B. Roberts and Maril Davis looked back at the legacy of Outlander and its impact on the television landscape over the past 11 years. They’ll also discussed the upcoming eighth and final season and give fans a special sneak peek,
Then we met the cast of Outlander: Blood of My Blood: Jamie Roy, Harriet Slater, Hermione Corfield, Jeremy Irvine, Séamus McLean Ross, Sam Retford, and Rory Alexander, joined by executive producers Matthew B. Robertsand Maril Davis to preview the new series in the Outlander Universe, focusing on the stories of Claire and Jamie’s parents. With themes of succession, war, love, and fate… We were shown never-before-seen clips that showcased the origin of their relationships.
5. The cast and executive producers of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon discussed the highly anticipated third season of the series, set in Spain, and debuted the official season 3 trailer.
6. When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat…. And wc were the first people in the world to see the pilot episode of FX’s Alien: Earth and hear from series creator Noah Hawley, EP David W. Zucker(Scott Free), and the cast of this highly anticipated sci-fi horror series inspired by the acclaimed feature film franchise. FX’s Alien: Earth makes impact August 12 on Hulu, FX, and Disney+
7. Director Dan Trachtenberg (Prey, 10 Cloverfield Lane) joined stars Elle Fanning (A Complete Unknown, Super 8) and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (The Panthers) for an exclusive look at Predator: Badlands, the latest chapter in the legendary franchised . We heard firsthand, stories from the set, insights into the film’s new setting and characters, and gota sneak peek at never-before-seen footage.
8. After a spectacular indoor laser light show, we stepped nto the Grid as director Joachim Rønning (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) and the cast of TRON: ARES (Jared Leto / Jeff Bridges) took the stage to discuss the highly anticipated next installment in the Tron saga. We heard behind-the-scenes stories, got character insights, and had an exclusive first look at footage from the film.
9. The Coyote VS Acme Panel –The movie Acme doesn’t want you to see! … after a comedic standoff with anACME EXEC, members of the cast and filmmaking team said “Thank you” to the fans for their incredible support, which led to the film’s rescue and upcoming theatrical release from Ketchup Entertainment. And Along with a Q&A, we were the first audience anywhere to view footage of the film, and we took home a Comic-Con-only giveaway! No roadrunners were admitted.
10. Dreamworks – The Bad Guys 2 – Everyone’s favorite felons were back, and this time they brought company; The Bad Girls. So we hopped in the getaway car with the filmmakers and stars of DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys 2, as they revealed the secrets of their newest heist.
11. The Star Trek Universe panel returned to San Diego, featuring exclusive back-to-back conversations with the cast and executive producers from the Paramount+ Original Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the upcoming new series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Plus, exclusive first looks, reveals, and surprises! The cast from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds included Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, and Paul Wesley alongside executive producers and co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers, and executive producer Alex Kurtzman. Cast members from Star Trek: Starfleet Academy included Holly Hunter, Sandro Rosta, Karim Diané, Kerrice Brooks, George Hawkins, and Bella Shepard.
12. Project Hail Mary – Ryan Gosling (actor and producer), Drew Goddard(screenwriter and executive producer), and Andy Weir (author and producer) gave us an exclusive first look at the most anticipated sci-fi thriller movie event of 2026. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name. The movie follows a science teacher who wakes up on a spaceship, lightyears from home, with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: to solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction . . . but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.
13. The HBO Max series Peacemaker,from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television, returns for a highly anticipated second season on August 21. And fans were treated to exclusive sneak peek footage from the new season and a conversation with James Gunn(co-head of DC Studios, executive producer, writer, director) and actors John Cena (Peacemaker,executive producer), Jennifer Holland (Harcourt), Freddie Stroma (Vigilante), Steve Agee(Economos), Frank Grillo (Rick Flag Sr.), Sol Rodriguez (Sasha Bordeaux), and Tim Meadows(Langston Fleury).
14. And last, but not least, there was an evening with Kevin Smith…
And I actually had time to go see several other panels, but I chose to explore the convention floor instead, check out cosplay, hang with friends, and I attended 4 of the offsite pop-up activations.
So this is the bottom line… While there are long lines and lots of people at SDCC, it’s still the best. And you can have a great experience if you plan out your visit ahead of time and use your time wisely.
Also, set reasonable goals. There are so many great panels at SDCC, there is no way to see everything. Often there are two or more panels you’d like to see that start at the same time, in different locations. So you should make the hard choices, and plan accordingly, before you even arrive at SDCC. The schedule goes live two weeks in advance.
And don’t be a sleepyhead. Events may not start until 10 am, but lines begin to form a lot earlier than that. And the sooner you get in line, the more likely it is you’ll get into the panels that you want. My backpack was also a chair, so it was super simple to get there early and stake out a place in line. I played video games until it was time to go in. And voila, I got into every panel on my list.
THE REAL BOTTOM LINE: I had a great time. And if you’re thinking about going in 2026, I highly recommend it…
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