SDCC: The Obvious and Not So Obvious Things to Expect at Comic-Con

With San Diego Comic-Con only days away, lets take a look at some of the major news that could break over the jam-packed four days, from massive studio panels, to hidden gems.

Here's what to look out for...

Marvel Studios at Hall H

Lets start with the most hotly anticipated panel of them all. After two years away, Marvel overlord Kevin Feige returns to Hall H once more, possibly with a view to laying bare at least some of the phase four slate of MCU Movies. But after somewhat criticizing his own move of disclosing the entire phase three slate, what can we expect from Feige, and his special guests?

Black Widow- The worst kept secret in Hollywood should finally be spoken come Saturday, as fans are expected to be treated to first-look footage and details of the (yet to be confirmed) but upcoming swansong for Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanov. Feige could do worse than a Tony Stark 'I am Iron Man' esque announcement for a film that 'officially' does not exist. Unless of course you live in Budapest where filming is currently taking place. Fans should finally unearth answers over who the likes of Florence Pugh (Midsommar), David Harbour (Stranger Things) and Ray Winstone are playing, plus have it finally confirmed (after conflicting reports) as to whether Rachel Weisz is actually in the film at all. The main intrigue however surrounds the story itself, namely when it will take place, following (spoiler alert) the character's heroic death in Avengers:Endgame. Smart money sits on a prequel but don't be surprised to see some portion of the film take place in the five year 'blip' during Endgame. Either way, excitement is building for the long-overdue solo film for a character Johansson has helped craft since her somewhat underwritten début in Iron Man 2.

The Eternals- Guardians of the Galaxy esque in that no one really knows who they are as of yet. But that is sure to change when the brilliant Chloe Zhao (The Rider) brings them to the screen in 2020. Feige should offer more details on release date and cast of vastly powerful aliens, so don't be surprised to see rumoured cast members Richard Madden (Game of Thrones, Rocketman), Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjani (The Big Sick), and Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) take to the Hall H stage.

Shang-Chi- A huge one for Marvel and Asia as the first Superhero film in its catalogue with an Asian lead. Expect confirmation of Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12) as director, coupled with a probable release date, whilst an announcement of the lead may be premature for a Movie still in its infancy compared to the likes of The Eternals.

Guardians 3 and Black Panther 2- It's common knowledge that Ryan Coogler is in the midst of writing the script for the worlds second trip to Wakanda, and whilst it's probably to early for plot details, a release date confirmation is a real possibility. The newly re-hired James Gunn's Guardians 3 is still somewhat a mystery, with many fans hoping Chris Hemsworth's Thor will be confirmed with the tease of the 'Asgardians of the Galaxy' in the closing stages of Endgame, however with The Suicide Squad at the forefront of Gunn's mind, any details seem doubtful.

Marvel Studios in Hall H takes place Saturday 20th July 5.15pm

Terminator: Dark Fate

Director Tim Miller (Deadpool) has been banging the drum ahead of his films Hall H panel, stating (per Variety) that Mackenzie Davis' Grace' will “scare the s*** out of you if you're a closet misogynist”. A franchise that is way past franchise fatigue, and on its knees thanks to a host of (at best) ropey sequels, and with its new films poster hell bent on making you forget them, stating 'welcome to the day after judgement day', can Tim Miller convince the audience, and the world to get excited for Dark Fate? A new trailer and the possible appearance of Linda Hamilton could be a good start.

Terminator:Dark Fate takes place Thursday 18th July 11-12pm in Hall H

Kevin Smith Reboots Hall H

One of the kings of Comic Con takes to the stage, this year to début a new piece of work, An ever present at Comic-Con, those lucky enough to be in Hall H will get to see the first look at Smith's eagerly anticipated Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. Having been first seen in Smith's 1994 Clerks, followed by 1997's Chasing Amy and 1999's Dogma, before being unleashed in their own Movie in 2001, this reboot, still slated for this year, promises a host of great cast members, including Chris Hemsworth, Rosario Dawson, and Craig Robinson.

TV Announcements

HBO and Netflix go toe to toe with panels of their shows they hope will fill the Game of Thrones sized hole in the television landscape. HBO's His Dark Materials goes first in the race Thursday July 18th at 4.45pm, boasting stars such as Dafne Keen (Logan) and James McAvoy (X-Men Dark Phoenix), followed on the Friday (2.15 and 3.30 respectively) by Netflix's Henry Cavill led video game adaptation The Witcher, sure to cause a stir with audiences, and fantasy series The Dark Crystal:Age of Resistance. HBO will also hope to reignite excitement for Westworld III, as it looks to move on from its polarizing second season, with more plot details and possibly a second teaser, following the first look trailer that focussed on new cast member Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad).

Hidden Gems

Entertainment is LGBTQ

From 12-1pm on Thursday July 18th, BOOM! Studios and GLAD, with a host of panelists, including Sina Grace (GO GO Power Rangers) and Noah Hayes (The Avard Guards) discuss LGBTQ representation in Pop culture and the 'path toward a more inclusive future'. A small but important step for something as widely inclusive as Comic Con claims to be.

Celebrating 40 Years of Alien -Thursday 18th July 7.15pm

Alexandre O'Phillipe (The People VS George Lucas) debuts footage and discusses his new feature documentary Memory:The Origins of Alien, surely a must watch for any Alien fan.

Law of MCU Thursday 18th July 1-2PM

Have you ever wondered how a band of super-powered beings operate outside the law of man, well wonder no more as a panel of lawyers and judges discuss, among other things, whether The Mad Titan himself, yes the 'inevitable' Thanos could be prosecuted as a war criminal for his infamous snap that plunged the MCU into darkness.

Comic-con happens in San Diego from Thursday July. 18th, 2019 – Sunday July 21st, 2019