It should have been a massive celebration filled with elaborate cosplay, packed-out Hall H panels, and a bevy of major announcements and footage reveals. And though the Coronavirus pandemic put paid to that, there was still plenty from the online-only Comic-Con 2020 to get excited about. Despite a much lighter load of shows and movies – and a minimal presence from Marvel and DC, the latter of which is currently building up to its own digital FanDome event coming at the end of August – Comic-Con@Home brought a smattering of exciting clips, trailers, and announcements from beloved sci-fi, fantasy, and comic book properties.
From much-anticipated returning series, to new horror projects, to a tantalising glimpse from one of the most intriguing (and controversial) fan-demanded blockbuster do-overs of all time, here’s what you need to see from this year’s world wide web-based Comic-Con.
His Dark Materials – Series 2 Trailer
The BBC and HBO’s lavish adaptation of Phillip Pullman’s Paradise Lost-inverting fantasy epic continues with a second series that delves headfirst into second book The Subtle Knife. And after the spine-tingling conclusion to Series 1, there’s a lot to be excited about here: Lyra and Will, together! Glimpses of Cittàgaze! More looks at Andrew Scott as John Parry! The introduction of Mary Malone! The witches! And some tantalising teases of the Subtle Knife, able to slice between worlds, itself.
Need more than just the trailer? Watch the full His Dark Materials panel below.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League – Superman’s Black Suit
The full Snyder Cut jamboree is surely being saved up for DC FanDome in late August – but in the meantime, a very very short clip from the rejigged Justice League appeared in the middle of a panel featuring Zack Snyder himself. Skip to 31:43 in the above stream, and you’ll see Jeremy Iron’s Alfred coming face-to-face with Henry Cavill’s Superman – and this isn’t just any Kal-El. No, he has a Black Suit because… well, it’s dramatic. Hey, you’d have a dramatic side too if you’d died and come back to life.
The New Mutants – Opening Scene
No, it isn’t going straight to Disney+. Yes, it apparently does exist and isn’t some elaborate hoax that has spiralled out of control. The long-long-long-awaited YA horror X-Men spin-off marked Comic-Con with a panel culminating in the reveal of the opening scene of the film – a frenetic blizzard chase centred around Blu Hunt’s Dani Moonstar. Scroll through to 24:15 in the panel video to catch the clip. At present, the film is still slated for a 28 August release – though if that were to change, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time.
Killroy Was Here Trailer
For most of his filmmaking career, Kevin Smith has made comedies. But when he’s veered into horror territory, the results – Red State and Tusk, specifically – have never been less than fascinating. Cue his latest foray into all things blood’n’guts, a creature-feature-slasher anthology based around the Kilroy urban legend / meme / graffiti. The film was directed and co-written by Smith (along with co-writer Andrew McElfresh), with a cast including Jason Mewes (of course), Chris Jericho, and his actor daughter Harley Quinn Smith, and a crew partially consisting of film students from Ringling College of Art and Design.
Watch Smith’s full panel below.
Lovecraft Country – Clip And Trailer
What do you get when you cross JJ Abrams, Jordan Peele, and a bunch of tentacular cosmic horrors? You get Lovecraft Country, HBO’s new ‘50s-set supernatural horror show, created by Misha Green and produced by Abrams’ Bad Robot and Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, tackling the twin evils of racism and the mind-blowing terror of the infinite void. Beginning in just a matter of weeks, the show looks big, bold, stylish, and expensive – and you can watch an early Comic-Con@Home clip above, and the latest trailer below.
The Boys – Season 2 Clip
At a time when streaming services are overcrowded with alternative takes on superheroes, Amazon’s no-holds-barred adaptation of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comic books stands out as a hilarious, irreverent, and satirical exploration of the superhero mythos. That, and it manages to be deeply NSFW without being cruel. For a show that’s never afraid to go there, this new clip – see above – shows Season 2 will be very much as unhinged as ever. Plus, the announcement also came that Season 3 is officially a go. Nice on, Billy Butcher.
Utopia – Official Teaser
It’s a travesty that Channel 4’s super-stylish, uber-violent, off-kilter comic book conspiracy drama Utopia was axed just two series in – and while there are no signs of the original coming back to life, Amazon shared the first trailer for its American do-over. Hurt feelings aside, there’s plenty of talent here – Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn has adapted the show, and the cast includes Sasha Lane, Rainn Wilson, and John Cusack. Here’s hoping this one receives a better fate.
The Walking Dead – Season 10 Finale Opening Scene
One of the first entertainment casualties of the pandemic was the final episode of The Walking Dead Season 10, which wasn’t quite finished when production was forced to halt. With the announcement that the finale will now air on 4 October, the show’s Comic-Con panel also saw the reveal of the episode’s opening few minutes. And that’s not all – news emerged that beyond the finale, Season 10 will get an six additional episodes in early 2021, followed by the official Season 11 later that same year.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond – Official Teaser
On the same date that the Season 10 finale of The Walking Dead arrives, its new spin-off will launch. World Beyond is a series about teenagers who have grown up amid the zombie apocalypse (the show takes place 10 years after the outbreak), telling a coming-of-age story in the undead-ravaged world. It looks like a refreshingly different take on the Walking Dead universe, and you can take a first look above. The episodes begin arriving on Amazon Prime Video in the UK from 5 October.
Star Trek: Lower Decks – First Look
Following Discovery and Picard, CBS has another new Star Trek show on the way – this one an animated comedy aimed at adults, following a bunch of redshirts whose Starfleet function is far removed from the interplanetary exploration glamour of the usual Star Trek fare. The tone seems to be ‘Adult Swim does Star Trek’, and you can catch a first clip above.
Truth Seekers – Official Teaser
Pegg and Frost are back together! The central duo from the Cornetto Trilogy are reunited in Amazon’s comedy-horror series about paranormal investigators. As well as starring in the show, they pair are executive producers / creators alongside James Serafinowicz and Nat Saunders, and the series is expected to arrive later this year. Catch the first trailer above, and watch the full panel below, hosted by a certain ‘Chris Hewitt’. Nope, never heard of him.
Helstrom – Teaser Trailer
Set to stream on the Disney-owned Hulu, this horror / crime drama is based on a Marvel comic, and nominally exists as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a similar capacity to the Netflix shows – though there’s no mention of the comic book giant whatsoever in the teaser. Tom Austen and Sydney Lemmon star as Daimon and Ana Helstrom, a brother and sister whose father was a powerful serial killer, and who make is their mission to hunt down evil people together. The series drops in the US on 16 October – but, as a Hulu series without an obvious home here, it’s yet to be seen whether it’ll be picked up in the UK.