A new wave of fans descended upon San Diego Comic-Con this year, captivated by “Dungeon Crawler Carl.”
Amid the usual sea of Marvel and DC superheroes, Trekkies, “Star Wars” stormtroopers, and other comic book enthusiasts, a significant number of attendees displayed their allegiance to the book series by wearing t-shirts featuring Princess Donut, the tiara-wearing, talking cat character.
This year’s event felt like a shift in the geek culture hierarchy. While dedicated Marvel fans began lining up on Thursday for the Saturday evening Hall H presentation, there was an equally strong buzz surrounding newer franchises like “Percy Jackson” and “The Vampire Lestat,” as well as niche properties such as “Neuromancer.” Nostalgic favorites like “Spaceballs,” “Grimm,” and “Pan’s Labyrinth” also drew attention.
Here are some of the highlights:
“Dungeon Crawler Carl’s” Warm Welcome
Matt Dinniman’s book series, which transforms Earth into a video game-inspired alien game show, has gained immense popularity, selling over 10 million copies. Recently, Peacock commissioned a live-action series of the books, produced by Seth MacFarlane. During Comic-Con, Dinniman hosted two panels with Jeff Hays, who voices over 200 characters in the audiobooks. Excitingly, Dinniman announced that Hays will voice Princess Donut in the upcoming Peacock series. While other casting decisions remain pending, fans eagerly await the series adaptation. Dinniman is also focused on completing the last two books in the planned 10-book saga.
“There’s so much I want to tackle. All this stuff seems to be happening at once because we started doing it all at once,” he remarked during a visit to the Variety Studio, presented by Google TV. “I’d love for there to be a full-on video game. An MMORPG, like a ‘Fallout’-style game, in the ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ universe would be amazing.”
The “Avengers: Doomsday” cast — including Robert Downey Jr., Hayley Atwell, Lewis Pullman, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Tenoch Huerta and Kelsey Grammer — at the Marvel Studios Hall H presentation.
Michael Buckner/Variety
Marvel Readies for “Doomsday” and DC Bets on “Lanterns”
After skipping last year’s event, Marvel fans returned eager to discover what’s in store for “Avengers: Doomsday,” which reintroduces Robert Downey Jr. as the new villain, Doctor Doom. Marvel chief Kevin Feige packed Hall H with the film’s stars — including Pedro Pascal, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Chris Evans, and Hayley Atwell — and showcased an exclusive trailer teasing Doom’s backstory. Additionally, it was announced that Ryan Gosling will headline a Ghost Rider movie, and Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther 3” will feature David Jonsson as the new hero, Prince T’Challa II, son of Chadwick Boseman’s character.
DC Studios maintained a smaller presence, focusing on previously announced projects. The studio highlighted the upcoming “Lanterns” show, starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, which brings a detective twist to the Green Lantern story and is anticipated to be a hit for DC. Pierre will reprise his role in the next “Superman” sequel, “Man of Tomorrow.” Meanwhile, Tom Rhys Harries made a surprise appearance at the Jim Lee and Friends panel following a new trailer for the horror thriller “Clayface.”
Aaron Pierre, Kyle Chandler and Damon Lindelof during the “Lantern” Hall H panel.
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
TV Titans
As the summer movie season winds down, studios and streaming platforms are eager to highlight their upcoming fall television offerings. Apple TV made a strong impression with a two-hour Hall H panel, their first major Comic-Con showcase, featuring established hits like “Widows Bay” and “Silo,” and offering a first look at the sci-fi drama “Neuromancer” with Callum Turner, and “Matchbox the Movie” starring John Cena and Jessica Biel. Prime Video focused on popular intellectual properties such as “The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power,” “Blade Runner 2099,” and Mike Flanagan’s “Carrie.” “Rings of Power” is gaining traction ahead of Season 3, especially with the addition of Jamie Campbell Bower, while “Blade Runner 2099” is poised for success with stars Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer and a strong vision from showrunner Silka Luisa.
Jamie Campbell Bower performs at Prime presents the IGN San Diego Comic-Con Party 2026 at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego.
Getty Images for Prime
Indie Spirit
Comic-Con isn’t just for comic book fans; there’s plenty for film enthusiasts as well. Indie distributors Neon and A24 have utilized the convention to premiere some of their most talked-about films, particularly in the horror genre, including “Together” and “Talk to Me.” This year, SDCC hosted back-to-back showcases for two thrilling films: Na Hong-jin’s “Hope” from Neon and Adam Wingard’s “Onslaught” for A24. Making his Comic-Con debut, Na shared his decade-long journey to create his alien invasion action film, humorously revealing that “90%” of the characters don’t survive until the end credits.
The “Onslaught” team—Comic-Con veterans Wingard, Adria Arjona, Dan Stevens, and Rebecca Hall, along with fan-favorite Drew Starkey—introduced a new trailer for their action-packed film. Arjona portrays a fierce Army sniper dealing with PTSD, tasked with protecting her daughter from a group of rogue super soldiers.
“I just felt crazy protective over her,” Arjona said about her young co-star, Blake Kennedy. “It’s that beautiful mother feral need to make sure that your child is fine.”
Drew Starkey, Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, Adria Arjona, Adam Wingard and Kevin Smith at A24’s “Onslaught” panel at San Diego Comic-Con.
Michael Buckner/Variety
Cosplay Cameos
Cosplay isn’t just for fans; celebrities also enjoy going undercover for some of Comic-Con’s most memorable moments. (Remember Andrew Garfield at the mic in full Spider-Man gear 15 years ago?)
This year, Rick Moranis made his Comic-Con debut to promote the long-awaited “Spaceballs” sequel, “The New One,” marking his return to acting after a 30-year break. The Hall H audience erupted when Moranis emerged from beneath a massive Lord Dark Helmet helmet.
Johnny Depp surprised fans by appearing as Scrooge from “Christmas Carol” at an event for “Ebenezer.” Hundreds of fans braved the San Diego heat for hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. “Have you no jobs?” Depp jested as Scrooge, before unveiling the film’s trailer in Hall H.
However, the standout moment came when Ryan Reynolds crashed the Marvel Studios’ Hall H presentation dressed as “Jeanpool” — a Canadian tuxedo-wearing Deadpool, possibly a nod to X-Men’s Jean Grey — to petition for a role in the new “Avengers: Doomsday.” After the event, Reynolds revealed he roamed the convention floor without security, mingling with fans unnoticed.
Rick Moranis speaks during the “Spaceballs” Hall H panel.
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
