San Diego Comic-Con, the world-renowned Mecca for all things comic book related, is back after a three-year hiatus. Fans from all over the world have traveled here to cosplay, buy merch, and most importantly, meet their stars. The biggest convention of its kind in the world has returned to its former splendor. SDCC kicked off today with the return to its grandiose Hall H and its mega panels filled with big Hollywood movie stars. No better way to launch the 2022 edition than by introducing Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, and BAFTA award-winning Hugh Grant as the cast of the new Dungeons & Dragons movie titled Honor Among Thieves.

The Paramount-produced film promises to stay loyal to its source material given that Wizards of the Coast, who own the franchise, have been very hands-on with this project to appease its most hardcore fans. The trailer has since been released on the internet but panel attendees got an extra scoop of the humorous adventures that await the crew of misfits. In an effort to find a powerful magical artifact lost during a long-ago battle, Chris Pine and his team go grave digging to seek answers by bringing the dead back to life. The dead only stay awake long enough to answer five questions, even if the questions are rhetorical. In a hilarious sequence, the gang’s necromancer awakens corpse after corpse and puts them all back to sleep as none of them can provide a satisfactory answer. Fans of the game should get excited for a film that will most definitely provide tons of monsters, original lore, authentic characters, and humor.

After the season finale of Blackish, Hollywood legend Lawrence Fishburne has already something new cooking up. His passion for comic books has driven him to collaborate with Disney/Marvel and one of the biggest producers of Animation, Steve Loter. Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dino is the story of Vanilla, voiced by Diamond White, who fights crime in the Lower East Side of New York City alongside a ten-ton red dinosaur with a big stomach and an even bigger heart. Fred Tatasciore offers his voice acting talent in the form of funny growls, soft howling, and angry barks as he interprets the big monster who befriends the black teenage superhero. Representation, family, art, music, New York City, and friendship are some of the big themes in the show coming out soon on the Disney Channel. 

Lawrence Fishburne at the Moon Girl and Devil Dino panel (Photo courtesy of Jose Pedro Eichenseer)

Ben Stiller’s pet project Severance had a big turn-up at Ballroom 20 today as the cast was greeted among cheers and jubilations from its crowd. Stiller, who is the director and executive producer of the show, was delighted to see the positive feedback the show has gotten from its fans. Apple TV has now announced that the show has been greenlit for a second season with Ben Stiller continuing to helm the project. Actors Adam Scott, Britt Lower, and Dichen Lachman were also on the panel answering their fans’ Q&A session. 

Ben Stiller and the rest of the Severance panel (Photo courtesy of Jose Pedro Eichenseer)

Those old enough to have watched MTV during the 90s, when it had more music videos than shows, might remember a series of poorly animated shorts with two knuckleheads called Beavis and Butt-Head. Fans of the show may rejoice today as the creator, voice actor, and showrunner of the series, Mike Judge, has announced a new season. Paramount is aware of today’s high demand for adult animation, and to keep up with the competition has greenlit the 9th season of the two teenagers who can’t get off their couch. The idea of making Beavis and Butt-Head middle-aged men had crossed Mike Judge’s mind, but given that Bart Simpson continues to be a 12-year-old boy after 30 years the filmmaker decided to keep them forever young as well. The show will premiere on Paramount+ on August 4th. 

Beavis and Butthead panel (Photo courtesy of Jose Pedro Eichenseer)

Speaking of adult animation, Hulu has recently released season three of Solar Opposites. Which begs the question, why would they have a panel dedicated to the quirky alien family living peacefully among earthlings? Executive producer, Justin Roiland who you might remember from Rick & Morty, has promised his cheerful crowd of fans a Solar Opposites Halloween Special that will be coming out this fall on Hulu. The producers and creators of Rick & Morty are not stopping there as Dan Harmon is also announcing his new show Krapopolis on Saturday. 

When compared to the Comic-Con celebrated last November, today’s turn-out was massive. Nonetheless, many employees said Friday and Saturday are going to be even bigger as one of them told us “it might get a little crazy”. In the next couple of days, some tremendously popular panels are going to take place announcing this year’s biggest film and TV productions. Starting tomorrow morning with Apple TV’s The Rings Of Power and Marvel Animation announcing the new season of What if…? and the X-Men 90s animated show reboot X-Men97.