SAN DIEGO, Calif. (AP) — Tens of thousands of fans — many in costumes — descended Thursday on Comic-Con International, the four-day pop culture spectacle that will feature updates on the new “Predator” movie, “Alien” series and a special appearance by George Lucas.
Fans packed into the convention's famed Hall H for updates on Disney+'s “Percy Jackson” series, with updates on the “Five Nights at Freddy's” sequel and “South Park” expected later in the day.
The convention won't have major news about any
upcoming Marvel movies or what's next for the hit relaunch of DC's high-flying “Superman” franchise. Both studios are sitting out Comic-Con 2025, as far as their film slates go.
An estimated 135,000 people will attend the convention, which will greet Lucas on Sunday for his first Comic-Con appearance. The “Star Wars” creator will discuss his new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art that will open next year in Los Angeles.
Fans of the “Alien” and “Predator” franchises will have plenty to cheer. Elle Fanning, star of “Predator: Badlands,” will discuss the film this week. FX will also bring the stars and creators of “Alien: Earth,” a series that will unleash the Xenomorph species on Earth next month.
“Alien: Earth” will be one of the projects that brings a massive interactive experience to San Diego, with a replica of spacecraft from the series. The attraction will feature what's described as a terrifying mission at night.
Marvel may not be presenting new movies, but it will have a “Fantastic Four: First Steps” attraction near the convention, a tie-in to Friday's release of the latest attempt to successfully launch its “first family” in theaters.
A main feature of the convention is its 460,000-square-foot (42,700-square-meter) exhibitor section, which features exclusive merchandise, comic book art and exhibits from brands like Star Wars, Lego, Nickelodeon, Paramount and more.
Comedians Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias and Jo Koy whipped Hall H into a frenzy during a mostly-packed session to promote their massive 2026 comedy show at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium.
The pair traded light — and mostly family-suitable — banter about their inspirations and heroes (Iglesias cited his mother, which led Koy to want to change his answer from Eddie Murphy) and their passionate fan bases.
They said their show would involve each doing at least 90-minute sets, special guests and befitting a show at a football stadium, probably some tailgating. They said fans should expect to be there all day.
Koy joked that it was “challenging to get back here" and that he was ignoring calls from family and friends to get them passes to the convention.
They ended the session handing out autographed Funko collective figures of their likenesses and a selfie with the crowd. They warned anyone who was there with someone they shouldn't be to take cover. “We're not Coldplay,” Iglesias joked, citing the viral kiss cam saga involving a tech company CEO captured embracing an employee at one of the band's concerts.
