The place? Corridor H on the San Diego Comedian-Con. The time? 2019, nearly a full yr earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic hit us like a truck and adjusted our lives eternally. The shock? Kevin Feige and a stage filled with superstars, together with A-listers, Oscar winners and nominees, and the whole lot in between, gathered for a photograph after the Marvel honcho revealed the whole slate of Section 4 initiatives following the large success of Avengers: Endgame.
Everybody was there, and each reveal felt like a promise: Physician Unusual and Wanda teaming up for a multiversal journey; Wanda and Imaginative and prescient starring in a Disney+ present, hinting at a possible Home of M adaptation; Loki lastly getting a solo undertaking. However that wasn’t all. Eternals! Shang-Chi! Feminine freaking Thor! By the point Feige revealed Mahershala Ali would play Blade, the whole thing of Corridor H had melted right into a pool of sheer ecstasy.
Now, two years later, we’ve got seen most of these initiatives, and the completed outcomes had been largely disappointing, give or take a WandaVision; the story, nevertheless, was totally different again then. The reveals felt large, and studying about them in real-time felt particular as if we had been witnessing popular culture historical past within the making. Not everybody was personally at Corridor H, however information travels quick in a modernized world, and every breaking story confirmed one thing we had recognized for years: San Diego Comedian-Con was the place to be.
For the love of the artwork
The now-iconic image of the Section 4 group posing collectively completely summarizes what Comedian-Con as soon as meant to the popular culture panorama. It was the occasion by excellence, the place the place huge issues occurred, introduced by even greater names. “Nerd” tradition thrived, creativity reigned, and fantasy ran rampant. Comedian books and superheroes had been the cool youngsters, however there was room for everybody, and everybody was invited. Anticipated reveals like Recreation of Thrones and The Massive Bang Principle had been staples on the occasion, whereas wildcards like Riverdale and The Good Place additionally discovered themselves within the combine.
Above all, Comedian-Con was a spot of real camaraderie, the place individuals who liked popular culture met to share, chortle, and rejoice the whole lot that may in any other case appear geeky. Comedian-Con had a deep appreciation for the artist and the artwork; it was the place the place comedian artist Bruno Redondo was as well-known and celebrated as Dwayne Johnson. Comedian-Con was a real celebration, the place the place fantasy, sci-fi, thriller, and journey clashed and partied collectively, consuming from the identical bottle of Romulan ale.
Comedian-Con was an important occasion for nerd tradition, however there was nothing lame about it. Comedian-Con was the good factor to occur in San Diego over the summer time, the place the place Tom Hiddleston got here out in full Loki costume and Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher shared a young kiss. It’s the place Bryan Cranston confirmed up carrying a Walter White masks, which he then took off and made out with, one thing his co-star, Aaron Paul, additionally did. It’s the place the Avengers assembled for the primary time. Comedian-Con was the place fantasies turned realities and goals got here true.
To be at Comedian-Con was to be an enormous freaking deal. The conference was chaotic and wild, an explosion of escapism and creativeness and an open invitation to sink into the depths of our interior geek. Thor and Mister Spock chatted within the snack line whereas the Fourth Physician and Sailor Moon took footage collectively. Hell, it was the place the place Henry Cavill wore a Man Fawkes masks and walked round unrecognized. Every part was attainable at Comedian-Con.
The creativity and thrills supplied by the conference opened the door for followers to let their imaginations fly. Cosplaying was very important to Comedian-Con, engrained in its very DNA. Over time, the conference has given us among the most artistic and daring examples of cosplaying ever; it’s not Comedian-Con until you do it proper, and followers from everywhere in the world went out of their approach to do it proper. The principle ground at San Diego Comedian-Con may’ve appeared like insanity to the uninitiated, nevertheless it was like a fulfilled dream for followers.
A world with out the Con
The COVID-19 pandemic modified our world eternally. Hollywood felt the shake-up, and, except for the enterprise it misplaced by seeing film theaters shut, it additionally noticed a lot of its landmark occasions slip away, amongst them Comedian-Con. The occasion that had been a popular culture staple for over 50 years was immediately stopped in its tracks, stifled by a worldwide pandemic that confirmed no indicators of ending.
True to its have to market its newest choices, Hollywood regarded for different choices. There had at all times been different conventions — Disney had D-23 and its investor day, and a minimum of two different main gatherings had been already working below the Comedian-Con title. COVID prevented these too. Abruptly, Hollywood wanted to do one thing it famously dislikes: pondering outdoors the field. Trying to find alternate options to compensate for the lack of such an important occasion, the film enterprise explored digital choices, and studios needed to get actually artistic actually quick.
Warner Bros. got here up with DC FanDome, a largely profitable occasion that couldn’t assist however really feel blatantly small-scale in comparison with the heights of the as soon as mighty Comedian-Con. Disney/Marvel saved its main bulletins for its bizarrely anti-climactic investor day and made full use of the trades, sending blasts through The Hollywood Reporter, Selection, and most of the standard suspects. Most did hefty enterprise on Twitter, trending and succeeding in producing phrase of mouth. Nonetheless, none achieved the identical stage of consideration or provoked the identical pleasure that they might’ve had they been introduced on the Corridor H stage. So, whereas the Comedian-Con announcement of a Werewolf by Night time Halloween Particular may’ve prompted followers to study extra concerning the character, the undertaking’s reveal through Twitter was extra of a fizzle than a bang.
Hollywood had at all times recognized concerning the significance of Comedian-Con to its correct functioning, however COVID additional put issues into perspective. Comedian-Con wasn’t only a enjoyable gathering the place followers got here to stay out their popular culture fantasies however an enormous publicity software that did half the work in promoting any given undertaking. And whereas the apparent answer may’ve appeared to create new and particular conventions for each main studio, the fact proved extra sophisticated. The reality is, San Diego Comedian-Con is the conflict of a number of fandoms and, onerous as it could be to consider, not everyone seems to be in love with superhero content material. So whereas Trekkies and Potterheads may’ve been compelled to study extra about Marvel’s latest journey due to the rumblings popping out of Corridor H, they wouldn’t even know concerning the reveal if it occurred at an occasion solely devoted to superheroes.
Simply because DC organizes a conference doesn’t imply everybody will wish to attend. Warner Bros. discovered that the onerous manner.
Again for spherical two
2022 will mark the return of the San Diego Comedian-Con, however the world is totally totally different from when the occasion final occurred two years in the past. Nonetheless, studios got here to play; in any case, loads is using on the success of Comedian-Con 2022, and Hollywood just isn’t one to go down and not using a combat.
Marvel elicited cheers when it introduced it will return to Corridor H, bringing alongside a slate of initiatives ready for his or her probability to take the stage and shock audiences as soon as extra. Black Panther: Wakanda Endlessly will more than likely be the studio’s centerpiece — it’s supposedly three months away, and we nonetheless don’t have anything, not even a measly poster. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and the multitude of upcoming Disney+ reveals may also obtain their justifiable share of consideration. We all know Kevin Feige is a showman at coronary heart, and he gained’t waste the prospect to be the star of the primary post-pandemic Comedian-Con. The occasion is the place among the finest superhero films first noticed the sunshine, and Marvel will be certain to maintain that custom alive.
Shockingly, DC saved issues easy by solely inviting two main properties to the celebration, Black Adam and Shazam: Fury of the Gods. Netflix, HBO, Disney, Paramount, and Amazon may also deliver out their largest weapons, hoping to depart their mark on the occasion. Even Grownup Swim, bless their hearts, is coming to play. All of them know what’s at stake right here and what is going to occur if this Comedian-Con fails. As a result of Hollywood can’t let Comedian-Con fail, the final two years proved that it’s essential for the blockbuster enterprise’ existence. Hollywood isn’t Hollywood until it has one thing to advertise, and an excellent gross sales pitch entails the appropriate stage and paraphernalia. From a enterprise perspective, that’s what San Diego Comedian-Con is.
However what about us, the followers who love Comedian-Con due to its sense of group? That’s the marvelous factor concerning the conference; we give it that means; we flip it right into a celebration of popular culture; we make it the place the place we will be geeks and happy with it. We’ll put on the costumes and attend the panels, however largely, we’ll rejoice the prospect to be there once more, surrounded by individuals who really feel the identical as us; we would not know them, however they aren’t strangers. We’re all a part of the identical group, and going again will really feel like the primary day after a protracted, George R. R. Martin-type of summer time.
So, San Diego, I hope you’re up trigger we’re all coming over. Comedian-Con is again, and we’ll make it higher than ever.
Editors’ Selection