Comic-Con kicks off Thursday in San Diego, California, with expectations running high among devoted fans keen to catch a glimpse of George Lucas at his first-ever appearance at the convention.
Other expected highlights of the gathering – one of the world's biggest celebrations of pop culture – include the world premiere of the prequel series "Alien: Earth."
Comic-Con began holding events in San Diego in 1970 as a low-key and rather niche gathering, but has now grown into an annual event that attracts 130,000 people eager to hear behind-the-scenes tidbits from Hollywood stars and directors unveiling their latest projects.
This year's edition will be marked by the presence of legendary filmmaker Lucas, who has never visited the convention before despite Comic-Con culture being deeply rooted in his "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" franchises.
In a session on Sunday set to be moderated by Queen Latifah, Lucas will discuss the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art with Mexican director Guillermo del Toro and Oscar-winning artist Doug Chiang, who has shaped the iconic "Star Wars" universe for decades.
The museum, scheduled to open in Los Angeles next year, will be dedicated to illustrated narratives and will house the Lucas archive.
"Nearly five decades ago, Star Wars made one of its earliest public appearances at our convention, along with a booth featuring (comic book artist) Howard Chaykin's now legendary Star Wars poster as a promotional item," said David Glanzer, Chief Communications and Strategy Officer.
"Now, to have Mr. Lucas ... is a true full-circle moment. His lifelong dedication to visual storytelling and world-building resonates deeply with us and our community."
Marvel Studios will have a smaller presence at the convention this year, skipping its annual presentation in Hall H, which is eagerly awaited.
According to Variety, changes to the premiere of the new "Avengers" installment complicated logistics for the studio, whose cast is currently filming in the U.K.
Despite this notable absence, events at coveted Hall H still promise great excitement for fans of science fiction, a core genre of the convention.
On Friday, it will host the world premiere of the pilot episode of the prequel "Alien: Earth," directed by Noah Hawley and scheduled to be released on streaming platforms in August.
The series takes place a couple of years before the events depicted in Ridley Scott's 1979 film "Alien," offering an expansion of the venerated franchise.
Another fan favorite that will take center stage is "Predator: Badlands," with a panel on Friday set to include director Dan Trachtenberg, who revitalized the brand with "Prey" (2022).
Joining him will be stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who plays the predator Dek.
The panel is expected to reveal more from the production, which centers the predator as prey, not hunter, for the first time.
On Saturday, award-winning actor Ryan Gosling and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (behind the new "Spider-Verse" trilogy) will present their "Project Hail Mary," which is due in theaters next year.
The film, based on the book by Andy Weir ("The Martian"), follows Ryland Grace (Gosling), a former science teacher who wakes up on a spaceship to discover he's on a mission to save the Earth.
Another buzzed-about presentation is for the highly anticipated second season of "Peacemaker," in which James Gunn ("Superman") and his cast are expected to offer sneak peeks.
But it won't all be deadly serious – thousands of those in attendance will come dressed as princesses, warriors, aliens and other characters from the pantheon of pop culture.
Comic-Con runs from Thursday, July 20, to Sunday, July 23.
