What movie and TV reveals came out of Comic-Con 2021? Traditionally held annually in July, San Diego Comic-Con (or just Comic-Con for short) has become one of the biggest pop culture events of the year. While originally devoted to comic books and associated media, Comic-Con has come to host major announcements from movie studios and television networks producing major works of fantasy, science-fiction and horror.
This year, Comic-Con hosted a virtual event in lieu of its usual epic event in San Diego. While a number of studios elected to skip the show this year, there were still a considerable number of Comic-Con at Home 2021 panels devoted to upcoming film and television releases. All of these panels were available for fans to view online, for free, without having to wait in any long lines in a crowded convention center.
Even with the reduced events schedule, it's still easy for people to miss some of the amazing announcements coming out of Comic-Con 2021. The variety of information is mind-boggling, to say the least. For ease of reference, here are all of the biggest news stories from the past few days, as well as links to all of the major trailers and preview clips to make their way online.
SDCC 2021 Trailer Drops & Preview Clips
Many trailers and previews for highly anticipated films and television series were released as part of San Diego Comic Con's 2021 virtual event. While both Marvel Films and DC Films skipped the show for the second year in a row, there were still a number of trailers unveiled, including:
- The second trailer for Denis Villeneuve's Dune.
- The trailer for Harper House, the first original animated series for Paramount+.
- The first trailer for the Blade Runner animated series Black Lotus.
- The first preview clips of the new Disney+ documentary Stuntman.
- A clip from The Suicide Squad showing King Shark's attempting to disguise himself... badly.
- The first promo for the Dragon Ball Z Super movie Super Hero.
- The first clip of the horror film V/H/S 94.
- A trailer for Doctor Who season 13, confirming the show's return in late 2021.
- A teaser for Lucifer season 6, confirming the show's return on September 10, 2021.
- A clip from Fear The Walking Dead season 7 teasing the long-awaited nuclear zombie apocalypse.
- The first trailer for The Walking Dead season 11.
- A teaser trailer for upcoming cop-drama American Rust, starring Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney.
- A sneak-peak of Amphibia season 3.
- A trailer for Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2.
- The first trailer for Star Trek: Prodigy, which teases the return of Captain Kathryn Janeway from Voyager.
Jordan Peele's New Horror Movie Is Titled "Nope"
First finding fame as a sketch comedy performer on Mad TV and as one half of Key & Peele, Jordan Peele stunned Hollywood by establishing his bona fides as a filmmaker and master of horror with his 2017 directorial debut, Get Out. He won an Oscar for Get Out's screenplay and wowed audiences again with his 2019 film Us. A poster for Peele's third film has been released, revealing the title as Nope. Little is known about Nope so far beyond the fact that it will star Get Out leading man Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun and once again have a social commentary angle. The film is scheduled for release on July 22, 2022.
Warner Bros. Will Make At Least 10 Movies Exclusively For HBO Max
Citing their success this year in simultaneously releasing films in theaters and on streaming services, Warner Bros. announced plans to produce at least ten films in 2022 as HBO Max exclusives. While agreeing that “motion pictures matter and will continue to matter,” WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar pointed to the fact that people were willing to subscribe to a streaming service to see such films as Godzilla Vs. Kong or the Zack Snyder cut of Justice League as proof that there was a ready market to be satisfied. It has not been announced which upcoming Warner Bros. movies might be heading straight to HBO Max, but it is suspected the upcoming Batgirl movie might be one of them.
Michael B. Jordan Developing HBO Max Series For Black Superman Val-Zod
When it was announced that Warner Bros. was considering producing a Superman movie centered around a Black Superman, Michael B. Jordan was a popular casting suggestion among fans and critics. It has now been confirmed that Jordan's production company Outlier Society is developing a new Superman project for HBO Max, based around Val-Zod, an alternate version of Superman from the parallel world of Earth-2. Created by Tom Taylor, Nicola Scott, and Robson Rocha for their Earth 2 comic book series, Val-Zod offered a new take on the classic Superman story, being a devout pacifist who had to overcome a fear of open spaces after discovering his status as a Kryptonian refugee on Earth. It is unknown at this time if Jordan will play Val-Zod himself or only produce the series.
Pet Sematary Prequel Movie Casts Jackie Brown’s Pam Grier
While best known to modern audiences for her acclaimed performance in Jackie Brown, Pam Grier has an extensive film career spanning five decades. Now, Grier has been cast in the Pet Semetary prequel being produced for Paramount+. It is unknown what role Grier will be playing, but she will be joining an impressive ensemble including Forrest Goodluck, Jackson White, and The Mare of Easttown’s Jack Mulhern.
The Invincible Live-Action Movie Will Be Different From Animated Series
Invincible creator Robert Kirkman confirmed that "massive efforts" were being undertaken to make the upcoming live-action Invincible movie into something that was true to the comics yet distinct from the Amazon Prime animated series. Kirkman was understandably silent as to just what changes, if any, were being made for the movie and there is no word yet on just when the film will be released or who has been cast in it. What is known is that the film is also being overseen by series producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
Army Of The Dead Anime Confirmed For Spring 2022 Release
Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, an anime based on Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead, will be released on Netflix in Spring 2022. Little has been revealed about the story details, but it will be a prequel that covers the events of the zombie outbreak that quickly overran Las Vegas and turned it into an apocalypse. It's also expected to delve more into the zombie king, Zeus, and his bioengineered DNA and what its purpose is. Fans can expect more of the same over-the-top action from the original movie, only in an animated format.
Dune HBO Max Prequel Series Finds New Showrunner
An HBO Max television series tying into Denis Villeneuve's upcoming adaptation of the classic science-fiction novel Dune has found a new showrunner. Diane Ademu-John, most recently the executive producer and writer of Netflix's The Haunting of Bly Manor, will serve as the writer, showrunner, and executive producer of Dune: The Sisterhood. The series will serve as a prequel to the movie, but it is unknown if it will be a direct adaptation of the novel Sisterhood of Dune or focus upon the Bene Gesserit, the organization of women that is one of the greatest powers in the universe of Dune.
Wheel of Time Poster Confirms November 2021 Release On Amazon
A new poster for Amazon Prime's live-action adaptation of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time fantasy novels has confirmed a November 2021 release date. The poster centers around Rosamund Pike's sorceress character, the legendary channeler of House Damodred, Moiraine Damodred. The new series will also star Madeleine Madden, Marcus Rutherford, Barney Harris, Zoe Robins, and Joshua Stradowski.
Creepshow Season 3 Details Teased
While a trailer for the horror anthology Creepshow season 3 was scheduled for release at Comic-Con 2021, showrunner Greg Nicotero couldn't help but tease a few details about the new season beforehand. Nicotero said that one of the season 3 episodes would include a story titled "Queen Bee," centering around a "Beyoncé type" performer who is truly an alien turning Earthlings into her obedient drones. There will also be an episode titled "Skeletons," which Nicotero described as "a movie lover's bonanza."
Baby Yoda Builds Lightsaber With Luke Skywalker In Poster
An officially licensed poster from The Mandalorian was previewed, which depicted Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) assembling a lightsaber under Luke Skywalker's direction. It's unknown if this is a tease that the Jedi apprentice will be returning for season 3 of the hit series or if fans can expect to see more of a young Luke Skywalker during the time when he was rebuilding the Jedi Order. In either case, it is heartening to see the beloved character doing well at his studies.
Fear The Walking Dead Season 7 & World Beyond Season 2 Premieres
The online panel discussions for both Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond confirmed release dates for both series. The Walking Dead: World Beyond season 2 will premiere on October 3, 2021. Fear the Walking Dead season 7 will premiere two weeks later on October 17. However, subscribers to AMC+ will be able to access episodes of both shows before the release date.
The Walking Dead Season 11 Casts The Boys’ Laila Robins as Commonwealth Leader
The Walking Dead panel revealed that Laila Robins (Grace Mallory in The Boys) will be joining the series in season 11 as Pamela Milton, the paranoid leader of The Commonwealth. In the original comics, it was Milton's son, Sebastian, who killed Rick Grimes. Obviously, this can't happen in the television series, but it will be interesting to see if a similar killing will occur as the heroes come into conflict with the rigid rules of The Commonwealth.
Oscar Isaac Promises Marvel's Moon Knight Will Be Wild
Oscar Isaac made a surprise appearance from the set of Moon Knight on Legendary Comics' Head Wounds: Sparrow Comic-Con panel. While he could not go into details of the show due to Marvel Studios' infamously strict NDAs, Issac assured fans that the finished series would be "a wild, wild show." The upcoming Disney+ series is based on one of Marvel Comics' slightly more obscure heroes, but one with a cult following, a vigilante whose powers are dependent on the lunar cycle and who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder. Isaac will be playing Marc Spector, a.k.a. Moon Knight, in the six-episode series and is rumored to be set to bring Moon Knight into the next wave of Avengers movies.