Top 10 Comic-Con 2019 Predictions

The original “Zombieland” was a sleeper hit in 2009, leaving the door open for plenty of franchise opportunities. While there was an attempt to get a TV series off the ground, it appeared increasingly unlikely we’d ever see a theatrical sequel with the original cast and filmmakers. In 2018, however, it was confirmed that Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Woody Harrelson, and director Ruben Fleischer would all return for “Zombieland: Double Tap.” So far, the most we’ve seen of this long-awaited sequel is the teaser poster, which totally won the 10 Year Challenge by the way. Since the film is set it releases exactly three months after Comic-Con commences, we just might get the first trailer and a cast reunion at this year’s convention.

Speaking of overdue sequels, it’s taken James Cameron over a decade to make a follow-up to his 2009 record-breaking blockbuster. Then again, it also took Cameron nearly 15 years to bring the original “Avatar” to life. “Avatar 2” is currently slated for a December 17, 2021 release, although given its track record, we may end up waiting even longer. Nevertheless, 2019 marks the first film’s 10th anniversary, leading us to believe that we’ll get a special preview of the sequel at this year’s Comic-Con. Since “Avatar 2” is over two years away, we’re not expecting a full-blown trailer. With Disney’s acquisition of Fox now completed, though, Cameron may finally be ready to share some concept images or a behind-the-scenes look at the film’s visual effects.

Sequels aside, “The Matrix” remains a pop culture phenomenon even 20 years later. In May 2019, “John Wick” director Chad Stahelski announced that the Wachowskis have a fourth “Matrix” in development. While nothing is officially confirmed, rumors have been swirling that Michael B. Jordan will star in the film, which is supposedly going under the code name working title “Project Ice Cream.” Will the Wachowskis crash Comic-Con to clue us in on more details? Also, if Keanu Reeves wants to top his breathtaking appearance at E3’s “Cyberpunk 2077” panel, he could break the internet again by announcing his return as Neo. Since Reeves is fresh off the success of “John Wick: Chapter 3,” a first look at the spinoff TV series “The Continental” may also be in order.

Aligning with Preview Night on July 17, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros are holding another edition of a special event called ScareDiego. Director Andy Muschietti has confirmed that “It Chapter Two” will play a key role here, although he’s kept any details vague. At the very least, we’re anticipating an official trailer to follow up the teaser that dropped last May. Why stop there, though? Warner Bros. may take a page from Marvel and assemble the film’s adult cast. Imagine Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, James McAvoy, and the rest of the Losers’ Club taking to the stage at Comic-Con. To generate even more buzz, ScareDiego could also invite the first film’s young cast to share the spotlight with their adult counterparts. In any case, Bill Skarsgård needs to drop in as Pennywise.

Even before “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” hit theaters, Sony announced plans for a sequel and an all-female spinoff. The studio’s faith in the film wasn’t misguided, as “Into the Spider-Verse” became a box office hit, a critical darling, and an Oscar-winner for Best Animated Feature. The movie’s success has even sparked discussion of a TV show centered on Spider-Verse characters, as well a series of Spider-Ham shorts. With so much in the pipeline, we’d be shocked if this year’s Comic-Con didn’t deliver a sneak peek of the Spider-Verse sequels and spinoffs in development. Producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have also signed a five-year contract with Sony Pictures Television to bring us more animated Marvel shows we’ll hopefully be unveiled at this year’s Con.

Fans were taken aback when it was announced that Warner Bros. would skip its planned Hall H panel at this year’s Comic-Con, despite having a slate of DC projects in the works. It may be a stretch, but could Warner Bros. pull the rug out from under us with a first look at “Aquaman 2,” “Birds of Prey,” or James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad?” Maybe a new trailer for Todd Phillips’ “Joker” movie or a surprise appearance from newly-appointed Batman Robert Pattinson? If anything DC-related comes out of Comic-Con, it’ll likely be pertaining to “Wonder Woman 1984.” The “Wonder Woman” sequel was supposed to come out this year before getting postponed to 2020, so Warner Bros. could at least hold us over with a teaser.

Granted, Disney probably isn’t going to reveal too much about their new streaming service at Comic-Con, seeing how D23 Expo takes place in August. However, we still think that Disney+ will reserve a couple of bombshells for Comic-Con. Trailers for “The Mandalorian” and Season 7 of “The Clone Wars” were already revealed at Star Wars Celebration 2019 and more may be on the way. In addition to “Star Wars” shows, Disney+ will also expand upon the MCU with limited series like “Falcon & Winter Soldier,” “Loki,” “WandaVision,” and an untitled “Hawkeye” project. Since the Marvel shows won’t start premiering any earlier than August 2020, we probably aren’t getting any trailers at Comic-Con, but a few cast members and showrunners could potentially drop by with new details.

Whatever your thoughts on the finale were, we’re all going to miss Tyrion, Arya, and Westeros in general. Several “Game of Thrones” cast members are appearing at Comic-Con Hall H to say goodbye and maybe hint at what’s coming next. A prequel series starring Naomi Watts is currently in development, and HBO just might bring the cast to Comic-Con to unveil its premise, title, and release date. On that note, fingers crossed that George R. R. Martin has some good news to share about his progress on “The Winds of Winter.” “Game of Thrones” isn’t the only fantasy franchise we’re eager to hear more about. Here’s hoping for some updates on Amazon’s “Lord of the Rings” prequel, Netflix’s “The Witcher,” and HBO’s “His Dark Materials.”

David Benioff and D. B. Weiss have left Westeros to explore a galaxy far, far away. Although D&D are set to develop a new “Star Wars” film series, Disney may hold back on any Comic-Con announcements since “Game of Thrones’” final season was polarizing, to say the least. The same goes for the new “Stars Wars” trilogy from Rian Johnson, who divided many with “The Last Jedi.” Disney and Lucasfilm will instead probably shine the spotlight on “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” which hits theaters this December. An “Episode IX” panel seems like a safe bet, which could mean we’ll see a new trailer.

It’s hard to say why Warner Bros. and DC backed out of Comic-Con, but it might be because Marvel is going to dominate Hall H this year. Between “Avengers: Endgame” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” our anticipation for the MCU’s fourth phase is ready to erupt. Disney has already set several release dates for upcoming MCU movies in 2020-2022, but they’ve yet to assign any films to said release dates. Comic-Con seems like the opportune time to lock down the releases for “Black Widow,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” “Black Panther 2,” “Doctor Strange 2,” “Shang-Chi,” and “Eternals.” Maybe they’ll even address those “Avengers 5” rumors. With “X-Men” and “Fantastic Four” also finally under the Disney umbrella, we might as well call this Marvel-Con.