SDCC 2026 has wrapped up, and alongside some incredible new collectibles (more on that in our upcoming NADFU special), there was, of course, a wealth of news from the film world. As happens every year, many filmmakers and actors were in attendance. Some, like Johnny Depp or Ryan Reynolds, mingled with the crowd in full costume for upcoming roles, while others, such as Guillermo del Toro and Eli Roth, paid visits to collectible manufacturers. Above all, however, they appeared on numerous
panels to showcase their projects. We've summarized the most exciting panels for you here.
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER
The
»Avatar« franchise took center stage at this year's SDCC, primarily due to its new animated movie. Released on July 25 – just shortly after the panel – on Paramount+,
»Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender« tells a story featuring the now-adult heroes from the Nickelodeon series »Avatar: The Last Airbender«. Additionally, the creative team led by Konietzko and DiMartino presented a first teaser for the upcoming series
»Avatar: Seven Havens«, which is set to launch on Paramount+ on October 9 with 26 episodes. Earthbender Pavi is Korra's successor and must prove herself as the new Avatar in a world where she is feared as the destroyer of humanity. Simultaneously with the panel, the video game
»Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game« was released, which will soon feature the movie character Tagah as a free DLC fighter. The fact is, after many years, the »Avatar« franchise is experiencing a massive resurgence. We are excited to see what else
Bryan Konietzko and
Michael Dante DiMartino have in store for us in the near future!
You can watch the panel here:
https://youtu.be/fv60UgD4UP0SPACEBALLS
The
»Spaceballs: The New One« Panel in the packed Hall H focused entirely on the long-awaited
sequel to the 1987 cult satire. The event was moderated by Kevin Smith; attendees included director Josh Greenbaum, the cast – Rick Moranis, Daphne Zuniga, Josh Gad, Keke Palmer, and Lewis Pullman – and screenwriters Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit. Mel Brooks and Bill Pullman sent video messages.
In true Mel Brooks fashion, the »Spaceballs« team
parodied Marvel panels and their typical announcements by unveiling a massive
»Spaceballs Cinematic Universe« that spanned the hall's 180-degree screens. They showcased bizarre future iterations, sequels, and spin-offs (such as »The Schwartz Awakens« or musicals) across eleven phases. The real highlight, however, was the presence of actor
Rick Moranis, who had effectively retired, returning to the screen specifically for the »Spaceballs« sequel. Kevin Smith asked for the room to be "combed" to track down Moranis. And indeed, he was found: wearing Lord Helmet's helmet, he received a standing ovation. During the panel,
filmmakers Josh Gad and Josh Greenbaum recalled pitching the sequel to Mel Brooks, while Daphne Zuniga and Rick Moranis discussed returning to their iconic roles and reuniting with Brooks after decades. Keke Palmer shared what it was like to immerse herself in the legendary »Spaceballs« universe, and Lewis Pullman reflected on joining the franchise that had launched the career of his father, Bill Pullman. Gad also paid tribute to one of his personal idols, John Candy, whom he described as the heart and soul of the original film.
The planned US theatrical release date for »Spaceballs: The New One« is
April 23, 2027.
Watch the panel here:
https://youtu.be/1O0nlFRhUzEALIENS
The
»Aliens 40th Anniversary« Panel featured a
reunion of many of the film's Space Marines. Participants included Jenette Goldstein (Private Vasquez), Mark Rolston (Private Drake), Ricco Ross (Private Frost), William Hope (Lieutenant Gorman), Daniel Kash (Private Spunkmeyer), Cynthia Scott (Corporal Dietrich), and Carl Toop (Alien Warrior). The panel was moderated by Mark Atkinson.
The actors discussed
working with James Cameron and shared their personal casting experiences. They also recounted
anecdotes from the set and reflected on the film's
groundbreaking practical effects and the masterpiece's
enduring legacy. The panel was pleasant and certainly entertaining, though we felt the lineup lacked some of the really big names.
You can find a recording of it here:
https://youtu.be/W_A9NZX9YBgLUCAS MUSEUM OF NARRATIVE ART
The
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art – founded by
George Lucas and his wife,
Mellody Hobson – opens its doors in
Los Angeles on September 22 and is dedicated to the
art of storytelling. Lucas had previously introduced the museum himself during a panel at SDCC last year. Now, roughly two months before the opening, Keke Palmer hosted a discussion about the exhibition. Guests included the museum's
curator Ryan Linkof; producers, writers, directors, and longtime creative partners
Matthew Senreich and Seth Green; and artist
Jim Lee, who serves as President, Publisher, and Chief Creative Officer of DC.
Linkof offered a preview of what visitors can expect at the museum. The focus is on celebrating
art from everyday life, such as comic books, illustrations, and movie posters, that typically finds no place in traditional art museums. He also revealed that the museum features two theaters with a continuous
film program celebrating the art of filmmaking (ranging from experimental films and documentaries to animation) and the artists behind them. Lee also spoke enthusiastically about how the museum highlights art often viewed merely as mass-market entertainment. Works by Frank Frazetta, Norman Rockwell, Lee himself, and many other artists will be on display. He further emphasized the role of
art as a means of self-expression and inspiration. Senreich and Green discussed their beginnings as artists and underscored the museum's importance as a place where art is not only collected and exhibited but also
preserved. They also had a special announcement: the museum will screen episodes of
»Star Wars Detours« – the unreleased animated Star Wars parody series produced by Green and Senreich in collaboration with Lucasfilm Animation.
You can watch the panel here:
https://youtu.be/qR8IFgYjkcwPAN'S LABYRINTH
One theme ran through several SDCC panels this year like a common thread: the use of
AI in the film industry. Back in spring, »Ant-Man« star Evangeline Lilly (Wasp) had angrily lashed out at Disney on Instagram after the company cut around 1,000 jobs – including Marvel's longtime director of visual development, Andy Park, who had designed her Wasp costume, among other things. Lilly accused Disney of planning to have AI reuse the laid-off artists' designs going forward, and directed a curt "Shame on you" straight at the company.
At the
»Pan's Labyrinth – 20th Anniversary« panel – a full hour-long conversation with director/writer/producer
Guillermo del Toro, Ofelia actress
Ivana Baquero, Faun/Pale Man performer
Doug Jones, and cinematographer
Guillermo Navarro – del Toro essentially sided with Lilly's view and took a clear
stance against AI in film: for the upcoming converted
3D version of the movie marking its 20th anniversary, he insisted on personally supervising the process, rejected AI tools entirely, and financed the elaborate conversion himself alongside collaborators — around 1,000 artists rotoscoped the film by hand instead. He also used the moment for some broader AI criticism: the technology, he said, denies up-and-coming artists the chance to ever learn VFX and post-production craft in the first place.
There were also some fascinating
glimpses into the craft side of the shoot 20 years ago: for the Faun, whom Doug Jones played alongside the Pale Man, he studied the hind-leg movements of goats and cows. Del Toro's concept had the Faun aging backwards over the course of the film – growing younger, stronger, and more graceful the more Ofelia's belief restores the underworld – realized through gradual changes in makeup, posture, and movement. Ivana Baquero, who was only 11 during filming, described del Toro as unusually collaborative. She said he treated her as an equal creative partner despite her young age. To close, del Toro returned to one of his core beliefs: that
art can save lives and offer hope in difficult moments.
Here's the interview:
https://youtu.be/ZkQgyHcVEdQMARVEL
As always, the main event in the big Hall H was
Marvel Studios' Saturday showcase. This year,
studio boss Kevin Feige's presentation focused heavily on the
movie side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – the »VisionQuest« series (October 14 on Disney+), the finale of the Wanda trilogy, only got a brief mention in passing. Otherwise it was all about films, and there are some heavy hitters headed our way.
»Spider-Man: Brand New Day« hits theaters this week, and
Jon Bernthal (The Punisher) made a brief stage appearance for it. During the big
»Avengers: Doomsday« segment of the show, the stars gathered on stage — the most exciting part was easily
Hayley Atwell's appearance, which thereby confirmed for the first time that Peggy Carter will be part of the Doomsday story, along with
Ryan Reynolds' bizarre cameo in a Jean Grey-colored Deadpool costume, which naturally sent the rumor mill into overdrive. Did he just spoil »Spider-Man«, »Doomsday«, AND »Secret Wars« in one breath?
The biggest and most surprising news of the panel was definitely the announcement of a new
»Ghost Rider« movie, with
Ryan Gosling in the title role under
Shawn Levy's direction. Slated for a 2028 release, Disney is presumably banking on the team behind »Star Wars: Starfighter« here, and looking to lock Ryan Gosling in for the long haul.
Ryan Coogler also unveiled
»Black Panther III«, set to hit theaters in December 2028. Alongside Letitia Wright (Shuri) and Winston Duke (M'Baku), he brought
David Jonsson (»The Long Walk«, »Alien: Romulus«) on stage, who will play
T'Challa Jr., the
new Black Panther. That's an unusual choice, since at 32, Jonsson is considerably older than T'Challa's son has been up to now. There was plenty of speculation here too about the possible implications for the MCU's soft reboot after »Avengers: Secret Wars«.
Here you can watch a recording of the panel:
https://youtu.be/-NyY15StgpcBesides the Marvel Studios panel, Thursday also brought a showcase for Insomniac's new
»Marvel's Wolverine« game, which could definitely turn out to be
one of THE games of the year.