As San Diego Comic-Con goes virtual for 2020, fans have built a shrine for the yearly event across the street from its usual convention center. For movie and TV lovers, comic book fans, and everyone in between, SDCC is as big of an event as the Super Bowl or the Grammys. Studios and distributors will often save some of their biggest reveals for SDCC, and every year stirs up a great deal of excitement. Just last year, for example, Marvel Studios unveiled their complete Phase 4 line-up and introduced Mahershala Ali as the next Blade. Previous years included equally thrilling news, but due to recent events, SDCC is going to look a lot different this year.
Unfortunately, SDCC has become another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted virtually every aspect of everyday life this year. In addition to countless movies being delayed (Warner Bros.' Tenet was just pulled off the release calendar yesterday) and productions being shut down, several conventions and festivals have been canceled or altered to fit the situation. SDCC's fate was put into question back in mid-March, when the situation became increasingly dire in the U.S., but it wasn't officially canceled until April. Then, last month, it was announced that SDCC would go virtual for 2020 with Comic-Con@Home.
As the weekend of Comic-Con@Home dawns, fans are taking the time to remember the beloved in-person event. As noted by 10News, fans have built a shrine comprised of memorabilia from past Comic-Cons outside TinFish, a popular spot for those attending and watching the event from afar. Chris Morrow helped organize the shrine, saying, "Residents from San Diego County got together to show love and respect to Comic-Con. The popular arts convention is online this year and residents wanted to let everyone know San Diego Comic-con is not forgotten and we will see them back in person 2021 in San Diego."
The plan is for fans to continue sharing their love and objects through July 27 (while social distancing). After that, the tributes will be cleaned up and sent to the SDCC organizers. In the meantime, Comic-Con@Home will commence tomorrow and can be viewed on www.comic-con.org and YouTube. While major players like Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. will be sitting out (with Warner Bros. holding their own virtual convention, DC FanDome, next month), there will still be a good number of exciting panels for fans to enjoy from the comforts of their own homes.
For example, the long-awaited The New Mutants will hold a panel this Thursday, and CBS All Access has planned for a major Star Trek presentation. Plus, The Walking Dead season 10 finale will finally see its release date announced during its panel on Friday. Clearly, San Diego Comic-Con won't be exactly the same this year. While it's a disappointing change, it's still good to know something will be happening in its place, and the fan-made shrine is a nice touch from those who hold the event in their hearts.
Source: 10News