Half of our Cinema Blend team is currently on their way to San Diego, where they're mustering up all their courage and charging into the breach of Comic-Con International (if you ask us, this scene from War Horse is pretty much exactly what Comic-Con is like). We've already been covering the Con a ton at this point, with word on which posters will be available to buy, which stars will be appearing before the crowds, and which upcoming movies will be promoting themselves with clips, trailers, casting announcements and who knows what else. You can catch up on all of our coverage, and follow it as the Con goes on, right here.
But it's easy to read the official announcements and guess which panels will be the best on their face. The hard part-- the fun part, really-- is trying to figure out where the surprises will be. Comic-Con panels are famous for their surprises, and many of the best moments of Cons past-- the first appearance of The Avengers cast, the secret screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, were total surprises. And while we're not psychics, and surely some filmmakers or studios have outsmarted us here, we think we can guess at least a few of the surprises in store for us-- or at least, talk about the ones we really want to see. Here are the Comic-Con surprises we're hoping for the hardest, including information about the panels so that you can check them out yourselves. Let us know what you're hoping for in the comments, and join us as the Comic-Con madness begins!
Guest stars for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. It's not just the Marvel movies that can get all the attention, and the official writeup for the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. panel is already promising "surprise guests." Could Thor stop by? Could Agent Coulson be bringing in even more superpowered friends? The possibilities are almost literally endless.
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC Panel, Ballroom 20, 2-3 p.m. Friday
First look at Chris Cooper as Norman Osborn in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. We've got lots of high hopes for what Sony will show off from the Spidey sequel on Friday, but it seems a safe bet that Norman Osborn will be one of the big characters making his debut, since nearly every other major player in the film has been revealed in an official image already. Sure, Jamie Foxx's Electro may have the flashy glowing head, but Norman Osborn is the power player, and we're dying to know if he gets inside that Green Goblin suit this time around.
Sony & Screen Gems Panel, Hall H, 4:15-5:15 p.m. Friday
A sign of hope for the Robocop remake. Sony's panel will probably be dominated by The Amazing Spider-Man 2, fair enough, but we'll keep our eye on the Robocop remake, which will be bringing footage along with its director and stars to Sony's Friday panel. The buzz on this movie hasn't been great, and last year's Total Recall remake didn't really strengthen the case that 80s classics ought to be revived. But a movie with Michael Keaton as the bad guy can't be all bad, right? Right?
Sony & Screen Gems Panel, Hall H, 4:15-5:15 p.m. Friday
Any news regarding the next step in the DC Comics / Warner Bros. relationship-- Man of Steel 2 news, standalone DC hero stories, Justice League of America movie info, or anything else. Technically Warner Bros.' Saturday panel is devoted to completely non-superhero material, including Godzilla and the 300 sequel. But with Man of Steel currently the second-biggest movie of the year, and talk of a Justice League movie never ending, it seems insane that they wouldn't announce the next step in their efforts to build a cinematic universe to rival Marvel's. It might be something as basic as an official release date for Man of Steel 2, but if we're going to dream big, why not hope for Justice League news?
Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Preview Their Upcoming Lineups, Hall H, 10:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., Saturday
Character names for the entire cast of X-Men: Days of Future Past. With the new X-Men film still in production they're not likely to show off a lot of footage, but director Bryan Singer has kept a lot of the characters under wraps seemingly anticipating a moment just like this-- and rumor has it that a ton of the cast will be on hand at 20th Century Fox's Saturday panel to, indeed, reveal their character names.
20th Century Fox Panel, Hall H, 4:15-5:45 p.m., Saturday
Fantastic Four casting news. Unlike the X-Men movie, Josh Trank's Fantastic Four reboot hasn't actually started production, and doesn't even have a confirmed cast in place. But with Fruitvale Station now out in theaters, maybe they'll want to take advantage of that Michael B. Jordan buzz and officially announce him as the Human Torch? If Fox hopes to get a fraction of the attention that Marvel does with their own Saturday panel, they'll need some kind of surprise to play ball.
20th Century Fox Panel, Hall H, 4:15-5:45 p.m., Saturday
Anything about the Deadpool movie. Please? Holding out hope for a Deadpool movie has been about as rewarding as rooting for the Chicago Cubs for the last few years, but Ryan Reynolds recently suggested it was at least alive, and the writers are holding out hope that Kick-Ass 2 could be a hit and leave room for an R-rated Deadpool. 20th Century Fox owns the rights to the character, and their Saturday panel has room for a lot of surprises. Yes, the X-Men news is more likely, but just throw us a bone here.
20th Century Fox Panel, Hall H, 4:15-5:45 p.m., Saturday
Marvel announces titles for their May 2016, July 2016, and May 2017 schedule slots. When Marvel Studios set those dates aside they inspired some serious speculation, and the most common theories suggest that Doctor Strange will be among those upcoming films. But that's three dates set aside for unannounced project, and there's a huge Marvel universe to cover. We know we'll be getting a look at Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier at Marvel's Saturday night panel… but it's the mysteries that have us really intrigued.
Marvel Studios Panel, Hall H, 6-7 p.m., Saturday
Guardians of the Galaxy shows off first footage or test footage. The Marvel Universe is taking a major leap into space next summer with Guardians of the Galaxy, and with the film currently in production in England you might think they wouldn't be able to spare anyone the long flight to San Diego… if Captain America hadn't done just that three years ago, even showing off an entire scene they had shot the week before. Expect Guardians to pull off something similarly raw but fantastic. We are also placing bets on director James Gunn bringing a live raccoon on stage in a nod to this guy. Share your thoughts on that in the comments.
Marvel Studios Panel, Hall H, 6-7 p.m., Saturday
A Joss Whedon appearance at the Marvel panel. The Avengers director will be at Comic-Con already-- can you imagine Joss Whedon skipping Comic-Con?-- but there's technically no reason for him to be on hand at the Marvel panel, since The Avengers 2 doesn't start production until next year. Then again, Marvel panels have become so popular precisely because they have surprises galore, and if Whedon is already in San Diego, why not toss him up on stage and let him reveal some surprises. Quicksilver, maybe?
Marvel Studios Panel, Hall H, 6-7 p.m., Saturday
Early renewal news for Under the Dome. CBS's summer series is a big hit, and though it was originally promoted as a single-season series, its success leaves the door open for a new season. The cast and creators will be on hand for the Sunday panel, and if they're ever going to announce a second season, that would be the time to do it.
Under The Dome Panel, Room 6BCF, 2:15-3:15 p.m., Sunday
An update on the Saul Goodman Breaking Bad spinoff. Breaking Bad will be making its final Comic-Con appearance on Sunday, just a few weeks before the final eight episodes premiere on AMC. Creator Vince Gilligan is still planning the spinoff about Bob Odenkirk's attorney character Saul Goodman, and Comic-Con would be just the place to get the fans properly amped up for the Saul spinoff. Odenkirk is scheduled to be part of the panel, and even if there's not an official announcement, you can basically guarantee he'll be answering questions about it.
Breaking Bad Panel, Hall H, 1:15-2:15 p.m., Sunday
