Other conventions of every genre may be planning their in-person return when it comes to hosting their events, but the hallowed San Diego Comic Con is still keeping things digital. The deeply famed event's declination to put on a live show comes with the consequence of two of the biggest names in comics dropping out of the convention's roster.
A filled Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center is wishful thinking for SDCC as they exchange their face-to-face festivities with a digital substitute. The convention skipped their 2020 showcase due to the COVID-19 pandemic and sought out a way to safely bring the con to those who still wanted to experience it somehow. The online opportunity was effective for keeping those safe but struggled to push the appeal for individual companies hosting panels.
Marvel Studios and Warner Bros.' DC Extended Universe will not be flaunting their upcoming projects and choosing not to premiere trailers abundant at this year's SDCC@Home. Marvel has taken to using Disney's Annual Investor Day to display their latest entries into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while the DCEU has been absent for three years. Warner Bros.' DC FanDome has taken over as their premier event as of the last year.
It isn't much of a surprise that each respected studio would opt to keep thier programming in-house, even if Marvel is known for making a spectacle of itself through cast attendance and interactive panels paired with a slew of announced upcoming projects. FanDome was an incredible success for DC as it asked that eyes strictly be on their featured television series, films, and comics without the competition of other industry figureheads.
It's still not clear if Sony will attend in order to promote Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), or Morbius (2022). CW's Legends of Tomorrow panel will be the DC-related franchise utilizing SDCC@Home's online space. SDCC@Home will stream from November 26-28, 2021, meaning that there still could be time for both Marvel and DC to change their mind, even if the chances are slim. San Diego Comic Con will return in 2022 from July 20 to July 24.