Everything You Need to Know: San Diego Comic Con 2023
Ella Burch
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San Diego Comic Con 2023 officially opened Thursday morning with Mayor Todd Gloria and other city and community leaders present. This is San Diego’s biggest yearly conference.
At the four-day event at the San Diego Convention Center, over 100,000 people are expected to attend San Diego Comic Con 2023, and many more will spend time dining, shopping, and people-watching in the Gaslamp Quarter.
The WGA and SAG Strike
Due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes, there will be fewer major Hollywood stars and panels, but according to Comic-Con management, the event will be filled every day of San Diego Comic Con 2023. According to the executive director of the Gaslamp Quarter Association, reservations for hotels and restaurants had already begun to fill up. Tourism officials in San Diego claim that San Diego Comic Con 2023 will aid in the local economy’s ongoing recovery from the effects of the pandemic.
This week marks the commencement of San Diego Comic Con 2023, which will be the fourth in a row of extremely bizarre years for the event. The convention is now coping with the Writers Guild of America Screen Actors Guild strikes after shapeshifting to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Since Hollywood actors are on strike for higher pay, movies, and television series are halted, and celebrities are unable to promote certain programs. We regrettably still don’t have a good sense of which of the scheduled panels for San Diego Comic Con 2023 will continue, so that may have an impact on some of them.
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Important Tips
In any event, we have gathered the most high-profile panels with scheduled guests, but there are literally hundreds more going on throughout the weekend. Even without the presence of Marvel or DC, San Diego Comic Con 2023 is huge and there will still be panels worth checking out. San Diego Comic Con 2023 runs from July 20-23.
We want to give you some suggestions that will help you cope with the long days spent inside and outside the San Diego Convention Center before we get into this year’s panels. The first bit of advice is straightforward: When possible, bring your own food and water.
If not, expect to spend an hour in line for pricey convention cuisine and bottled water that costs more than it would at a typical supermarket. By bringing your own food, you can spend less time waiting in line and more of your money on items you’ll actually use. Additionally, a Ralphs is located at 101 G Street, just under half a mile from the convention center of San Diego Comic Con 2023, in case you need more food while you’re at the event.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the baggage claim area is there to help you. You shouldn’t have to lug those hefty suitcases around all day. Throughout the convention center’s regular business hours, San Diego Comic Con 2023 attendees may check and pick up their luggage. However, there is a finite number of spots available for bag check, so it’s preferable to arrive early rather than discover that they are all taken later.
Any of the film or television panels in Hall H would be the most popular event at a normal San Diego Comic Con 2023. However, because there aren’t many sessions in Hall H this year, the 6,500 attendees will be dispersed around the space. So there’s a high likelihood that both the dealer’s room floor and the other panels will be busier than normal.
If you’re primarily attending San Diego Comic Con 2023 to witness a particular panel, try to arrive as early as possible. There will be some people left out because none of the other rooms can accommodate as many people as Hall H. Give yourself plenty of time to move through the line to prevent that as much as possible.
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Hall H
The convention center’s Hall H, the customary hub of Hollywood news at San Diego Comic Con 2023, won’t host the A-list stars or franchise mega-panels of recent years since writers and actresses aren’t allowed to promote movies and TV shows. In fact, neither Marvel nor DC will fill all 6,500 seats in Hall H this year for the first time since 2011. With a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” panel scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Paramount will be the only major studio present in the hall. Director Jeff Rowe is anticipated to speak.
Directors are now at the center of the promotional machine since the Directors Guild of America has already reached an agreement with the studios. For instance, Collider will host a directors roundtable on Friday at 11 a.m. at San Diego Comic Con 2023 with David Leitch (“Deadpool 2”), Justin Simien (“Haunted Mansion,” “Dear White People”), and Gareth Edwards (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “The Creator”).
In addition, at 1 p.m. on Thursday, the Indian sci-fi movie “Project K,” which follows the Oscar victory for “RRR” for best original song, will become the first movie from that nation to be present in Hall H.
There are only a few TV-related panels left on the Hall H schedule of San Diego Comic Con 2023, including ones for the “Star Trek” and “Walking Dead” universes from Paramount+ and AMC, respectively.
As most animated shows are not covered by the WGA and instead have writers who are represented by the Animation Guild, animation dominates other areas of the convention center. (Exceptions include well-known animated series like “The Simpsons,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “Rick and Morty,” and “Big Mouth.”) The panels for “Masters of the Universe: Revelation” on Netflix, “Archer” on FX, “Futurama” and “Solar Opposites” on Hulu, “Invincible” on Prime Video, and “Harley Quinn” on Max are all scheduled to appear at San Diego Comic Con 2023.
Television shows including FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows,” NBC’s “Quantum Leap,” and Peacock’s “Continental: From the World of John Wick” as well as movies like Paramount+’s “Good Burger 2” and A24’s soon-to-open Australian horror feature “Talk to Me” are among the live-action projects on display outside of Hall H at San Diego Comic Con 2023.
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Vendors
Even though several businesses have decreased their presence on the floor since the convention resumed operations following pandemic shutdowns, Glanzer claims that a map of this year’s exhibitors reveals that it will still be very “robust.” Along with well-known manufacturers of toys, games, and collectibles like Funko, Bandai Namco, Lego, Mattel, and Hasbro, San Diego Comic Con 2023 will feature publishers of comic books including Marvel, DC, IDW, Image, and Dark Horse. The booths representing anime and manga include Viz and Crunchyroll, while those manning the video game exhibit include Capcom and Square Enix.
It’s not like Hollywood won’t be present in the exhibition space. In addition to licensed goods and memorabilia in vendor booths, Lucasfilm and Nickelodeon are two studios that have their own locations at San Diego Comic Con 2023.
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Important Features
As San Diego Comic Con 2023 strives to reclaim its footing as the preeminent pop entertainment destination event after being forced to go virtual for two years during the epidemic, Hollywood’s departure from Hall H and another significant panel programming may be perceived as a setback. Following a tiny “special edition” of the convention over the Thanksgiving weekend in 2021, San Diego Comic Con 2023 made a full comeback in 2017 and resumed its traditional summertime schedule. However, other people observed that things appeared to be moving more slowly now than they had during San Diego Comic Con 2023’s pre-pandemic heyday.
Writer of “.357 Magnum Opus” and “Pimp Killer” Ghezal Omar anticipates it to be “larger” this year with “more creators, more fans, and more costumes.” He will have a booth in the tiny press part of the floor.
There are other activations and experiences advertising upcoming film and TV projects outside the convention center proper, so there is also much to do there. These include the following this year:
- In the Gaslamp Quarter, NBC will hold an activation with a “Quantum Leap” theme. In order to help the “Quantum Leap” team resolve a crisis, guests will be able to jump into the worlds of other network programs like “Law & Order: SVU,” “Organized Crime,” “The Voice,” and “Chucky.”
- For events related to “Shgun,” “A Murder at the End of the World,” “American Horror Story,” and “What We Do in the Shadows,” FX will commandeer the Hilton Bayfront Park.
- At the Hilton Gaslamp’s “The Street of Immortality” event, which is styled after Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe, AMC Networks will feature “Interview With the Vampire” and “Mayfair Witches.”
- With its “Animayhem” experience, Hulu will display its library of adult animation and anime in the Bayfront parking lot.
- At its activation called the “Lodge” in the Gaslamp, Paramount+ will showcase its slate (from “Good Burger” to “Yellowjackets”).
- The “Ultimate Anime Fitness Challenge” on Crunchyroll offers a special accessible workout for anyone who has ever been motivated by training arcs and montages.
- On Thursday, there will be a “Twisted Metal”-themed activity with free ice cream and a surprise musical performance, before the presentation of the first episode of the Peacock comedy series. On the corner of J Street and First Avenue, Salt + Straw will start serving free samples of its unique “Twisted Metal” ice cream flavor at 1:30 p.m., followed by a music performance at 5 p.m. and a movie screening at 10 p.m.
- Amblin Entertainment and Universal’s products and experiences team will hold a “Step Into ‘Jurassic Park'” activity on Friday and Saturday to commemorate the film’s 30th anniversary, recreating sequences from the popular series. The free event with timed entrance requires bookings in advance.
The Gaslamp Quarter
Every year, thousands of convention attendees descend on San Diego’s downtown and Gaslamp Quarter’s hotels, shops, clubs, and restaurants for San Diego Comic Con 2023, causing a 55% increase in demand for hotel rooms compared to a typical July weekend. However, despite the fact that expensive procrastinators could still book a last-minute room in the Gaslamp as of Tuesday afternoon (beginning at about $709 per night), experts believe the strikes will have little impact on the event’s total economic impact.
Just like with badges, housing arrangements are made months in advance: Some have dubbed the process of looking for a hotel room during the official hotel sale with discounted San Diego Comic Con 2023 rates as the “hotelpocalypse.” Attendees on a tighter budget who don’t care as much about being near the city’s center probably reserved their lodgings during the early bird sale, which often requires full payment upfront. Additionally, as both ways of booking are nonrefundable, you can expect the majority of visitors to be present and in need of somewhere to eat and drink while they’re there.
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Below is the full schedule for this weekend’s events at San Diego Comic Con 2023:
Thursday, July 20
Max Original Animation
Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 11:00 AM PT in Ballroom 20
The Adventure Time spin-off Fionna & Cake, the new show Young Love, a first peek at Harley Quinn Season 4, and surprise panelists will all be included in the Max Original Animation lineup.
Paramount Pictures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 11:30 AM PT in Hall H
This panel will feature footage from the upcoming film and a panel discussion with the filmmakers.
Behind the Scenes With The Cast of Jury Duty
Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 1:45 PM PT in Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
With a behind-the-scenes look at the show with the program’s creative team and Ronald Gladden, the juror at its center, Jury Duty, the breakthrough smash from Amazon Freevee, arrives at Comic-Con.
Masters of the Universe: Revolution, a Conversation with Kevin Smith and the Cast
Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 3:30 PM PT in Room 6BCF
With a behind-the-scenes look at the show with the program’s creative team and Ronald Gladden, the juror at its center, Jury Duty, the breakthrough smash from Amazon Freevee, arrives at Comic-Con. Chris Wood, Melissa Benoist, Griffin Newman, and Tiffany Smith will participate in a discussion about Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revolution series, which will be moderated by Kevin Smith. While we can only speculate as to who will be making a “Goliath appearance by a special cast member,” we feel compelled to point out that Mark Hamill provides the series’ Skeletor’s voice. All things considered, it’s probable that the cast won’t show up due to the ongoing SAG strike.
A24’s Talk To Me
Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 4:15 PM PT in Room 6BCF
Talk To Me, the eagerly awaited new horror film from directors Danny and Michael Philippou will be the topic of a talk about how they got their start on YouTube. That evening there will also be a screening.
FX’s Archer: 14th and Final Season Exclusive Screening and Q&A
Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 5:45 PM PT in Ballroom 20
In advance of its forthcoming 14th and final season, Archer will host one final panel. The season-opening will be seen exclusively during the panel, along with “additional surprises.”
Friday, July 21
My Adventures with Superman
Friday, July 21, 2023 at 11:00 AM PT in Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
The cast and crew of My Adventures with Superman, Adult Swim’s DC comics show host a panel for the series.
Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomster
Friday, July 21, 2023 at 1:00 PM PT in Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
The cast and crew of the new film Metalocalypse will be featured in this panel, along with some sneak peek videos, before the film’s August 22 release.
Peacock’s The Continental: From the World of John Wick
Friday, July 21, 2023 at 3:00 PM PT in Ballroom 20
The executive producers from Peacock’s three-part series The Continental: From the World of John Wick will host a panel with an exclusive first look at the series.
Gen V
Friday, July 21, 2023 at 4:15 PM PT in Ballroom 20
Gen V transports us to a superhero college in the universe of The Boys on Prime Video. This was supposed to include interviews with the cast at first.
A Conversation with the Creator of Prime Video’s Invincible
Friday, July 21, 2023 at 5:45 PM PT in Room 6BCF
Robert Kirkman, the creator and executive producer of “Invincible,” will be there to share information and engage in conversation about important plotlines for the upcoming “Invincible” Season 2.
Justice League: Warworld
Friday, July 21, 2023 at 9:00 PM PT in Ballroom 20
The feature-length, R-rated animated movie Justice League: Warworld will run at the panel’s opening, followed by a panel discussion and a Q&A with the directors and major cast members.
Saturday, July 22
Legendary Entertainment
Saturday, July 22, 2023 at 11:00 AM PT in Hall H
The topic of this discussion is TBD, however, Legendary has a number of significant projects forthcoming, including Dune 2.