Featured image: An army of Ron Perlmans promote the new series Hand of God.
Need to catch up on all the biggest news, videos and photos coming out of San Diego Comic-Con this week? We've got you covered. Check out Thursday's recap below.
The Biggest News
Ben Affleck Confirmed As Director of the Next Batman Movie
Ahead of this weekend's Warner Bros./DC Entertainment panel, Deadline reported more on the previously rumored solo Batman movie coming in either 2018 or 2019. The movie will be scripted by Affleck and DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns, who is also involved with the other movies in the DCCU franchise, and indeed will be directed by Affleck, too.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 Trailer Debuts
Although it's not online... yet, the first full-length trailer for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 debuted to a monster crowd inside Comic-Con's Hall H (see some video below).
The trailer came stuffed with a bunch of battle scenes -- the finale will feel more like a war movie, according to the cast -- and the promise of Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) finally unifying all of the districts in an all-out war against President Snow and the Capitol.
But what happens when Snow booby-traps the entire Capitol and literally transforms it into the most deadly version of the Hunger Games yet? Let's just say fans should expect Katniss to get her fight on, and for it to be emotional.
Best quote: "Anyone who loved the ending to the last book is going to love the ending of this movie." -- Director Francis Lawrence
Greatest Hunger Games moment: Watch Jennifer Lawrence get a little emotional when a fan asks how she plans to say good-bye to Katniss.
Jennifer Lawrence on saying goodbye to Katniss: "I'll never say goodbye, she's always a part of me" #sdcc pic.twitter.com/we26oORdF1
— ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) July 9, 2015
Ben Affleck's The Accountant Will Now Be a Comic Book Movie
Meanwhile, Affleck's next movie will be a comic book movie in retrospect. Screen Crush discovered on the convention floor that the original assassin drama The Accountant, which will be directed by Gavin O'Connor and hits theaters in January, is getting a limited comic book series through DC/Vertigo.
The Coolest Moments
Bill Murray kicked things off in Hall H this year with his first ever appearance at Comic-Con, and his intro (for the Open Road panel for Rock the Kasbah) was as great as you'd imagine...
Bill Murray enters Hall H like a boss!! #sdcc pic.twitter.com/Kx7NxLFRCA
— ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) July 9, 2015
Conan O'Brien, who hosted the Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 panel, got the shenanigans started by pledging his allegiance to Josh Hutcherson.
"I'm team Josh and I will fight anyone who isn't!" Conan O'Brien introduces the @TheHungerGames Hall H panel #sdcc pic.twitter.com/Q4OkzLhQlp
— ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) July 9, 2015
Jennifer Lawrence walks onto the Hall H stage to a cheering crowd of 6,000 hard-core Hunger Games fans.
Warcraft director Duncan Jones reveals a badass statue of the character Orgrim on the convention floor.
And speaking of Warcraft (in theaters next June), check out some more pics of the film's presence on the convention floor.
Closer look at Orgrim from @ManMadeMoon's WARCRAFT on the #SDCC floor pic.twitter.com/svQdKHiUpH
— ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) July 9, 2015
Huge @Warcraft presence on the floor to kick off #SDCC pic.twitter.com/pgFQtQAvKR
— ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) July 9, 2015
The Best Costumes
We're running costume galleries throughout the week, but we've highlighted our three favorite cosplayers of the day below.
It's great to see Chris Pratt's raptor-training meme turned into cosplay, but it must be a pain carting the dino props around...
Maybe he should just team up with this trio:
We figured there'd be plenty of Furiosa cosplay from Mad Max: Fury Road, and so far we're not disappointed...
With Star Wars: The Force Awakens arriving at Comic-Con on Friday, here's a pic of the best Star Wars-related costume we've spotted so far. Watch out for those cameras Admiral Ackbar -- it's a trap!
Fandango @ Comic Con
Fandango correspondents Tiffany Smith, Alicia Malone, Dan Perrault, Kristian Harloff and Erik Davis are out in full force covering this year's Comic-Con in a number of ways. Check out some of our videos so far!
**Additional reporting by Christopher Campbell