San Diego Comic-Con 2026 is now underway. The yearly convention has returned to the sunny shores of California and has brought with it some big hitters. This year Marvel is making their triumphant return to Hall H with Kevin Feige expected to make some huge announcements ahead of Avengers: Doomsday later this year.
What's more, The Rings of Power season 3, Lanterns, and Blade Runner 2099 are all also being showcased at the event as well as several smaller panels too. This means that we're expecting some big news, new trailers, and first looks at some of the biggest upcoming movies and shows over the coming days.
To keep you up to date on all of these, GamesRadar+ is on the ground in San Diego and we'll be updating you every step of the way. So bookmark this page and keep checking back throughout San Diego Comic-Con 2026 to find out everything that happens as soon as it happens.
You can also take a look at our full SDCC 2026 schedule to see when panels are happening as well as our SDCC predictions for everything that we hope will be announced this year.
We're here!
GamesRadar+ has touched down in San Diego and last night we had a look around the town and the convention center floor during the preview night. We spotted lots of intriguing things, including a better look at Sauron in The Rings of Power season 3, which is pasted on the side of a building and a glimpse into Latveria in the Gaslamp Quarter.
As for what's on display in the convention hall itself, the most intriguing find was the Avengers: Doomsday costumes. One of these was for a character we've not yet seen called the Latverian Witch (yes, we have a theory about that already) as well as several looks at the Avengers.
So, what's on the agenda today? San Diego Comic-Con panels begin in just a few hours and there are several exciting ones to follow along with. You can see the full list in our SDCC 2026 schedule, but we've picked out a few highlights below.
Marvel's Wolverine
Insomniac Games will be showcasing Marvel's Wolverine in Hall H at SDCC. The upcoming release has a lot of hype around it and we're expecting to see some more gameplay and news about the upcoming release. This one takes place at 11.15am PDT/2.15pm EDT/7.15pm BST.
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender
Beginning at 1pm PDT/4pm EDT/9pm BST, another of the first big panels of the convention is Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender. The cast and creators of the Paramount Plus movie will be in attendance as we expect some details on the film ahead of its release. The movie was plagued by several leaks in the run up to release so this could be addressed too.
Onslaught
Another 2026 movie will also be showcased today at SDCC. Adam Wingard's new film Onslaught follows a rogue squad of genetically engineered super soldiers, and it looks pretty epic from the first trailer. Wingard will be at the panel alongside his cast Adria Arjona, Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall, and Drew Starkey. It all begins at 5.30pm PDT/8.30pm EDT/1.30am BST.
What will be announced at SDCC?
So what are we hoping will be announced at San Diego Comic-Con? Well, a few of our big predictions have actually already been announced ahead of their respective panels. Marvel already released its Avengers: Doomsday trailer ahead of their Saturday night slot and one of the big questions we had about The Rings of Power season 3 has been answered too. It's been revealed that Jamie Campbell-Bower will be playing Celeborn in the new season after a lot of speculation about his role...
We do still have some hopes though. First and foremost, we're hoping for some big trailers. The Rings of Power season 3 and Blade Runner 2099 should deliver on that front. The Lanterns panel will also hopefully bring with it some new footage as we're just a few weeks away from the release of that DC Studios project too. When it comes to Marvel, we're also expecting some news on the upcoming X-Men movie, especially given this seems to be where the future of the MCU is heading...
Despite Marvel's return to Hall H, there are some pretty big omissions from San Diego Comic-Con this year. First and foremost, DC Studios does not have a bit standalone panel at SDCC. While Lanterns will be appearing, we're not expect James Gunn or Peter Safran to make an appearance running through the upcoming slate for the studio. This also means that we won't be getting any updates on Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow we don't think.
Despite being the biggest streaming platform in the world, Netflix also won't be making an appearance at SDCC. They don't tend to have a big presence there so this isn't a huge surprise and they also host their own similar-style events throughout the year.
Elsewhere, Lucasfilm won't be appearing much either. They will be hosting a publishing panel called, 'Lucasfilm Publishing: Star Wars: Stories from a Galaxy Far, Far Away' but we won't be hearing more from the TV and film slate for the studio. It seems we will be waiting until D23 for that one.
How can you watch San Diego Comic-Con 2026?
Unfortunately the only way to watch the panels at SDCC 2026 is to actually be there in person. They're not live-streamed from the event and haven't been since COVID. However, don't fret as GamesRadar+ is on the ground in San Diego and will be sharing live updates throughout the convention. As well as our live blog, you can follow along on our social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
We're getting closer to the first big panels of the event. Today, we're most excited for the Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender panel. With all the discussion surrounding the movie leaking in full, it will be interesting to hear what the cast and creatives have to say on the topic, if they choose to address it. Beyond that, it's a very exciting release in its own right that's worth getting excited about.
Of course, the biggest panel of all is bound to be Marvel's Hall H panel, which is set for Saturday. We're guessing there will be more Avengers: Doomsday news, as well as, possibly, an update on the upcoming X-Men movie. Whatever happens, it's bound to be huge.
We're kicking things off with some superhero news! Here's an update on VisionQuest, which will give the fearsome Ultron a new theme.
Mick Giacchino just brought the VisionQuest main theme to #SDCC, the first time it’s been heard publicly. Giacchino says the music was designed to be “small and intimate and a little bit lonely” but can also get bigger. And he confirms James Spader’s Ultron is getting a new… pic.twitter.com/k8F3h5FP1YJuly 23, 2026
It sounds like Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be a seriously emotional one, with composer Michael Giacchino teasing that he wanted to "make a sad Spider-Man movie."
"So, I wasn't sure what I was going to be able to bring new to the table for this, and I just sort of had this idea, that I asked Destin [Daniel Cretton], the director who did an incredible job, was, 'What if we just start removing all the extraneous notes from his theme in the way that could represent pulling away all the pieces of his life that he doesn't have anymore?'" Giacchino shared.
Read the full story in the link above!
Thanks to an exclusive GamesRadar+ interview, we've got an exciting update on the future of The Last Airbender franchise. A "secret" project is in the works, and you can read all about it through the link.
The Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender panel is currently in full swing, and we've learned a few things about the upcoming animated movie.
For one thing, Katara was pregnant in early versions of the film, and Sokka actor Román Zaragoza got original voice actor Jack DeSena's blessing. You can follow along live on our Twitter page.
Avatar Aang director Lauren Montgomery reveals Katara was pregnant in early versions of the movie, and Tagah was originally an Earthbender called Hulong #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/kqVDBB3pPMJuly 23, 2026
Sokka actor Román Zaragoza got original voice actor Jack DeSena’s blessing ahead of Avatar Aang: “I was trying to find this balance between bringing myself into this project while also paying homage to [DeSena]” #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/hC8Aevre6uJuly 23, 2026
Bryan Konietzko developed a whole phonetic language called Avatarian that is in all new Avatar Studios projects: “I just locked myself in my office for like 3 months” #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/gKZ6faWeNsJuly 23, 2026
At the end of the Avatar Aang panel, the dreamy first trailer for Seven Havens dropped. Check it out above.
The Directors on Directing panel is happening over in Hall H, with Weapons director Zach Cregger discussing the upcoming Gladys prequel, and John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein discussing their still-in-progress Star Trek movie. Be sure to follow along on our Twitter page!
Zach Cregger says the script for the Gladys movie is in progress “I’m really excited about the Gladys movie… I think there’s an amazing story to be told about where Gladys comes from and how she became what we know her as.” #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/mmFChJ4nXWJuly 23, 2026
Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley touch on their in-progress Star Trek script “I think people will be surprised,” says Daley. “It’ll probably be a little bit further into the future than we’ve been before,” adds Goldstein #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/VgGzaiIHPqJuly 23, 2026
Resident Evil director Zach Cregger recalls dropping “150lb human sacks” filled with blood around star Austin Abrams as he ran through the street for a gruesome gauntlet, and how one fell frighteningly close: “If he’d been an inch to the right, he definitely would have died”… pic.twitter.com/2Y4aV4l3qEJuly 23, 2026
Zach Cregger brought an exclusive clip from Resident Evil to #SDCC, where Austin Abram’s Bryan comes across a flipped cop car in a snowy field, and is pursued by a zombie. Inept Brian’s screaming and many missed shots punctuate the terror with humour #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/1s6QngyXUoJuly 23, 2026
The Onslaught panel has begun! Filmmaker Kevin Smith is moderating. Director Adam Wingard is in attendance, alongside stars Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall, Drew Starkey, and Adria Arjona.
At the Onslaught panel, Godzilla x Kong director Adam Wingard describes how he got an original action movie made “10 years of sucking the studio’s teat” #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/hhA2epbEqEJuly 24, 2026
Adam Wingard says he views Onslaught as the “completion of a trilogy” following You’re Next and The Guest, and that Onslaught takes place in the same town as The Guest #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/usc2A8T1ksJuly 24, 2026
Moderator Kevin Smith points out that the last time Adria Arjona was at Comic-Con it was Morbin’ time, “We’ve all got our shit. I made Yoga Hosers, don’t worry about it” #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/c3jzNItTFwJuly 24, 2026
Dan Stevens is sorry to say that Onslaught is “not exactly a sequel” to The Guest, but it is a “spiritual sequel”: “It’s the same theory and world-building behind it. There’s the same sort of military suspicion going around” #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/gLC3bkA0FxJuly 24, 2026
Drew Starkey wanted to shave his eyebrows to play “a government killer who’s on MDMA and trying to do his job well”: “We were really trying to go crazy” #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/9cklb5QsRRJuly 24, 2026
Adam Wingard says Onslaught is the first film where he had final cut, and he wrote a role for Michael Biehn just so they could hang out after he was obsessed with Hicks as a kid #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/arorgcfgErJuly 24, 2026
Adam Wingard is asked what’s next? “I haven’t made a zombie movie. I haven’t made an alien abduction thing. Maybe I’ll do one of those” #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/UZGV7u48r8July 24, 2026
We'll be back tomorrow for San Diego Comic-Con 2026 Day Two! Catch up on all the panels over at our Twitter.
Good morning and welcome back to SDCC 2026! Yesterday brought with it news on The Last Airbender franchise, a new Resident Evil clip, and much more.
Today, we're expecting to hear news on DC show Lanterns, Blade Runner 2099, and The Rings of Power season 3. Keep your eyes on this blog for everything as it happens!
Zach Cregger has also teased more about his Resident Evil movie taking "liberties."
"It takes place in the snow in 2026. That's why he has an iPhone. Because I took liberties to tell a story I wanted to tell and make the movie look the way I wanted to make it look," he shared. Check out his full comments through the link.
While DC doesn't have a major presence at Comic-Con this year, we have got a tantalizing tidbit of news thanks to Adria Arjona. The Andor star is rumored to be playing Wonder Woman in the DCU, and she has jokingly addressed the speculation.
We're now just 30 mins away from Prime Video's Hall H panel. What can we expect? Well, there's One Thing (or should that be One Ring?) on our mind as Sauron's machinations spread across Middle-earth in The Rings of Power season 3. We anticipate a trailer will be live online in the next hour or two.
Blade Runner 2099, a series that has laid largely dormant for years, also promises to intrigue.
Elsewhere in the week, expect more intel on Reacher's new season, its Neagley spin-off tomorrow, plus the latest on Mike Flanagan's Carrie adaptation. All told, an incredibly stacked way to start day two of SDCC 2026, with more to come tomorrow - and we're here to bring you all the latest every step of the way.
Speaking of Reacher, star Alan Ritchson has spoken about his potential future in James Gunn's DCU.
During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ritchson said that "James Gunn and I have spoken a lot."
He added, "I really respect James. I would like to do something with James. James would like to do something with me."
Will Ritchson play Batman or another major DC hero or villain? Watch this muscular space
Want a slight Lanterns teaser? You'll be green with envy at what we got our hands on last night at SDCC... See for yourself below.
Yesterday we checked out the Lanterns activation at San Diego Comic-Con and swiped our own Power Ring 💚DC series Lanterns hits HBO on August 16 in the US and 17th August in the UK! pic.twitter.com/XqH9SBnnAHJuly 24, 2026
Blade Runner 2099 is first up at today's Prime Video Hall H panel. Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer are in attendance, but no word on if any paper unicorns have been spotted yet.
Our man on the ground, entertainment editor Jordan Farley, will provide updates momentarily. If he's not been replaced by a replicant, that is...
So, about the whole 2099 thing. Decades on from the events of both Blade Runner movies, it appears the Replicants are calling the shots.
The Blade Runner 2099 panel is now underway in Hall H at #SDCC2026, an 8-episode show where the Replicants are now in power. pic.twitter.com/B8MYXgB0u7July 24, 2026
Did you feel sympathy for Roy Batty and co.? The Blade Runner 2099 showrunner certainly did, telling the assembled crowd at SDCC about how she rooted for the Replicants.
“What I remember the most is rooting for all the Replicants,” says Blade Runner 2099 showrunner Silka Luisa. “What was so exciting and challenging about doing the show was chasing that feeling.” #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/ib1XAibgSvJuly 24, 2026
With such a rich, dense world, you may expect some of Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049's crew and locations to pop back up. While it's not been completely ruled out by any stretch of the imagination, Blade Runner 2099 is designed so a new generation of fans can hop in without feeling overwhelmed and weighed down by past lore.
Producer Andrew Kosove says there is “connective tissue” and “character and storylines that relate to” Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049, but the show is not meant to be “inside baseball” #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/FkPijt2tI3July 24, 2026
We have a release date! Blade Runner 2099 is out November 25 on Prime Video.
Showrunner Silka Luisa teases perhaps a brighter take on the Blade Runner world, aesthetically at least.
Luisa said, "2019 was dark and rainy. 2049 was snowy and cold. Our show is a rebirth. It's the rebirth of a city, it's a rebirth of all of our characters, and so to me that felt like it should be hot and sticky and chaotic, and that's where we got the idea for the Sunshine Noir, and so you're you're seeing Blade Runner, Ridley's Blade Runner, but through the lens of hard sunlight and deep shadow where you still have neons, and hopefully that feels like it's both familiar but completely
different."
The Rings of Power season 3 panel begins
Blade Runner 2099's panel is over, which means The Rings of Power season 3 is next up.
If you're just joining us, you can catch up on the main announcements from the Blade Runner reveal with a look at the first trailer and its November release date.
Benjamin Walker is now on stage to introduce the cast of The Rings of Power season 3. A sizzle of the new season revealed a glimpse of Sauron forging the One Ring at Mount Doom! #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/yOphK1teWoJuly 24, 2026
Charlie Vickers and Daniel Weyman, aka Sauron and Gandalf on stage #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/nrDI5xYXn3July 24, 2026
Want the goss on Gandalf? The second season of The Rings of Power revealed the stranger roaming Middle-earth was indeed Gandalf.
Now, in Hall H, actor Daniel Weyman has given the lowdown on Gandalf's character arc in season 3.
"We've seen in this in this time gap between season two and season three-he's been sitting around with Tom Bombadil. He's been trying to learn his stuff, and he can't make sense of these riddles that Tom keeps coming up with. But he is learning," Weyman says.
He adds, "I think we will agree he has arrived in season three. He's in his power. He has agency. He's the Gandalf I think we all hopefully know and love, and that means that as he tries to influence what's going on in Middle-earth as the darkness is rising...he's learning that it's not all about sort of wielding the staff and creating massive magic power. It's also that soft power touching people's hearts, and I think he's on the lookout for people whose hearts have been chilled, that have been frozen. He's going to try and rewarm them. He's going to rekindle them to like a place where they can where they can grow and they can love again."
Rings of Power newcomer Jamie Campbell Bower has weighed in on playing Celeborn, as well as his character's upcoming reunion with Morfydd Clark's Galadriel.
"The reunion between the two of them is deeply impactful, particularly for Celeborn," Bower teases. " And I think, you know, with Galadriel, it's the memory and the hope of their reunion [that] has really been the thing that's that's been keeping him alive. With this time and distance between them, they've got a lot to catch up on between them. And Sauron, from my perspective, he uses that which you hold most dear against you, and that definitely creates some some complications for Celeborn for sure."
Simon Pegg joins the cast of The Rings of Power as the Balrog, the fiery demon found in the Mines of Moria.
We've got his first comments on the role from Hall H down below.
Simon Pegg is voicing the Balrog in The Rings of Power season 3 “this is an intelligent, strategic, dangerous adversary,” says showunner Patrick McKay, who teases that Sauron tries to learn the Balrog’s magical ability to withstand fire so he can forge the One Ring #SDCC2026 pic.twitter.com/ijjjWxfn5TJuly 24, 2026
The Rings of Power season 3 trailer
The Rings of Power season 3 trailer is here, and it's just as epic and majestical as we had hoped. Watch it for yourself now.
The Rings of Power Hall H round-up
Amid all the Middle-earth mayhem, you may have missed some seriously exciting news. Don't worry, we've recapped it all for you and it's now available on-site. Click through the links below to be transported to everywhere from the Mines of Moria to Mount Doom for a taste of what to expect from The Rings of Power season 3.
- "He's in his power": The Rings of Power's Gandalf star says his Lord of the Rings character has "arrived" in season 3 and will be the wizard "we all hopefully know and love"
- Simon Pegg joins the cast of The Rings of Power season 3 as an iconic Lord of the Rings character
- Sauron will create some "complications" for Celeborn and Galadriel in The Rings of Power season 3
- Sauron crafts the One Ring in The Rings of Power season 3 trailer as Middle-earth burns
- Simon Pegg's Balrog will share scenes with Sauron in The Rings of Power season 3
While there's a lull in panels, let us take you away from Hall H for a conversation we had with Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender director Lauren Montgomery.
As you may remember, the upcoming animated sequel was hit by a series of major leaks, including the finished movie being uploaded to social media and disseminated across various websites.
Montgomery, though, is looking on the bright side. She tells us, "Everything else, they're just situations that are out of our control. You can mourn it a little bit, but in the long run you have to believe in what you've made – and know that this is a short moment in time. The movie is going to live much longer than that. We're happy it's going to be out there now."
It's T-minus 30 minutes until the Lanterns panel. As I mentioned in our SDCC 2026 predictions earlier this week, I'm really hoping we get to see a little more comic book-style pizzazz in any new glimpse here. A taste of how it ties into future DCU stories wouldn't go amiss, either.
Lanterns trailer
The Lanterns trailer is here! It is a bright day, after all...
Sorry, still trying to decompress after that Lanterns trailer. Safe to say, after months of middling teases and glimpses, that August's DC Studios series now has a lot of hype behind it. We've got Sinestro, a murder mystery that's giving off True Detective and slight Yellowstone vibes, and a none-too-subtle tease of Martian Manhunter. Count us in.
“If I had to choose a character to play, I’d choose John every time," Aaron Pierre says of his Lanterns role.
Rewind the clock back 18 months and we sat down with Pierre just prior to filming, who had this to say about his then-upcoming experience.
"What I can tell you is that everyone involved is absolutely elite in their respective fields." Pierre said in 2024.
"Everyone is deeply passionate and wants this to be the very best version of itself, not only for ourselves as a family who are telling the story, but for the people. This is such a beloved character and there's such a beautiful energy surrounding the project and we, of course, want to deliver – and beyond."
It appears the DCU is getting on the road. Journalist Jenna Anderson, reporting from the Lanterns Hall H panel, brings word of just how much of the HBO series was filmed on the HBO lot. In short: not a lot. Only 20%, according to Aaron Pierre.
Aaron says only 20% of the show was filmed on the WB lot, the rest was being a traveling band across the state. They left the production really feeling like a family who “poured their hearts” into it. #Lanterns #SDCCJuly 24, 2026
How tough is Aaron Pierre? Well, he's just informed the crowd at Hall H that he did his final callback fresh from surgery while still in a brace. He wanted to honor John Stewart's toughness, apparently. That's certainly one way to do it.
A tiny piece of casting news out of the Lanterns panel: Laura Linney will be playing a member of the Guardians of the Universe, the founders of the Green Lantern Corps otherwise known as the Oans.
The Lanterns panel has now ended and while we have a bit of a break from Hall H, it's a good chance to look at what other news has been coming out of San Diego Comic-Con today. Fans of the Anne Rice universe will be excited to know another season of Interview with the Vampire is coming. This one will be called Queen of the Damned with Sheila Atim starring as the legendary vampire Akasha.
Meanwhile, The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 was also previewed with new footage landing at its Hall H panel. At the panel, it was also confirmed that Emily Kinney's Beth would be coming back from the dead for an alternate reality episode.
We've also got some exclusive insight to bring you from our chats with the cast of The Rings of Power season 3. Following on from the panel earlier, we had a chance to chat with showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay about how they view season 3 in their five-season plan for the show.
"As we thought about the first two seasons, we thought about them as the first act of a huge three-act story, and sometimes in the first act you don't know who everybody is yet. But now the joy of a third season is actually, everybody's out in the open. The masks are off. We have full metal, evil dark lord Sauron. We have Gandalf appearing much more similar to his iconic, third age, novelistic appearance. And those are just the gifts that keep on giving as storytellers."
Oh, and they also teased that we'll soon find out the identity of one Dark Wizard, and it's coming "sooner than you think".
X-Men '97 season 4 confirmed
X marks the spot at SDCC. Amid plenty of rumors that mutants are going to be unveiled in a big way at Marvel's Hall H extravaganza tomorrow, X-Men '97 has received an exciting update.
During the Marvel Comics to Screen panel, Marvel TV head Brad Winderbaum said X-Men '97 season 3 is finished. A fourth season is also in the works.
With the Dead City panel shambling out of sight, lapsed fans of The Walking Dead might get a kick out of this: an announcement video featuring Lauren Cohan and Emily Kinney, who played Beth on the AMC series for multiple seasons.
Spoiler alert: Beth died in The Walking Dead season 5. So, what gives? The franchise has never been one to shy away from dream sequences and what-ifs, and it's the same again here. Dead City season 3 will present an alternate reality where, seemingly, the Green sisters lived to fight another day together.
