Yup, it's just about that time again. Time for the geeks of the world to invade downtown San Diego for what is perhaps the biggest convention of them all: Comic-Con. If you're a geek, a fanboy, a fangirl, or something in between, surely you will find something at Comic-Con to obsess over – whether it be a video game, a comic book, a limited edition action figure, a television show or a movie. Since we're all about movies here at Fandango, we'll be focusing on that section of Comic Con – doling out the five hottest film-related events so that even if you can't join us in San Diego next week, you'll at least be on top of what's about to go down.
1. The Big, Epic Marvel Panel – Not only is Marvel bringing some tasty treats from Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, but rumor has it they'll also be unveiling the entire cast for The Avengers on stage at the same time. Look for Joss Whedon to be officially announced as director, and for all those Avengers casting rumors (Nathan Fillion as Ant-man? Eva Longoria as Wasp? Mark Ruffalo as Hulk?) to finally be confirmed.
2. Tron: Legacy vs. Scott Pligrim vs. the World – The two films battling it out for the one with the most presence at Comic Con this year will be Tron: Legacy (due out this December) and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (due out in August). While Tron is hosting a panel and setting up an off-site arcade to host parties at, Scott Pilgrim is plastering the entire side of a hotel with its poster, along with hosting a panel and one or two super secret events.
3. Guillermo del Toro's Next Film – He'll be there supporting the horror flick Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (which he's producing), but we know that del Toro will also use this opportunity to announce the film he'll take on next after stepping down from The Hobbit. Will it be one of the ones he's been talking about (like Frankenstein) or will it be something completely new? Guess we'll see …
4. J.J. Abrams and Joss Whedon…on the Same Panel! – Yes, in case the convention floor isn't geeky enough for you, then how about a panel that combines two of the biggest cult heroes of our generation: Joss Whedon (Buffy, Firefly, Serenity) and J.J. Abrams (Lost, Star Trek). Entertainment Weekly is hosting the panel, and with each of these guys working on really big upcoming projects (The Avengers, Super 8, Star Trek 2), we're bound to find out some really cool information.
5. Cowboys & Aliens – Jon Favreau will be making another appearance at Comic-Con, but this time he won't be there with an Iron Man film. Ditching the Marvel universe for the first time in a few years, Favreau is currently working on the big-screen adaptation of the comic Cowboys & Aliens, which sounds so appealing (how can you not want to watch Cowboys fight Aliens?), but it could also go in an entirely different (read: bad) direction. Will be curious to see if he has any footage to show from this one.6. BONUS: Masters of the Web panel – Yes, here's where I get to throw in a little extra self-promotion. I will be representing Fandango on the Masters of the Web panel next Thursday alongside some of the web's most prolific movie bloggers and journalists. Moderating the panel is Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and Roberto Orci (writer of Transformers, Star Trek), and so with those guys at the helm it should be a blast.
What are you looking forward to most from this year's Comic-Con? Fandango will be on the scene the entire time, so let us know what you'd like to see/read/hear and we'll do our best to bring it to you.
