Here's Why Marvel Studios, DC Studios, Lucasfilm And More Are Skipping This Year's San Diego Comic-Con

Here's Why Marvel Studios, DC Studios, Lucasfilm And More Are Skipping This Year's San Diego Comic-Con

Nearly every major studio has decided to skip this year's San Diego Comic-Con, and a new report details why Hall H will deliver few surprises and exclusives for fans in attendance. Read on for details...

By JoshWilding - Jul 05, 2025 07:07 AM EST
Filed Under: Comic-Con
Source: The Wrap

DC Studios skipped last year's San Diego Comic-Con, but Superman was in the middle of shooting, and only Creature Commandos was in active production. That allowed Marvel Studios to steal the show with a splashy panel, concluding with the reveal that Robert Downey Jr. would play the MCU's Doctor Doom in the next Avengers movies.

Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* were also highlighted, but both underperformed earlier this year. That raises an important question: Is it worth a studio's time and money to make its presence felt in Hall H?

The Wrap reports that Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros./DC Studios, Legendary, Sony, Lionsgate, and Paramount have all decided to forgo holding film panels in San Diego later this month. Unsurprisingly, it all comes down to timing and money. 

Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps both arrive in theaters before Comic-Con, and neither Marvel Studios nor DC Studios has another major movie set for release until the second half of 2026. It thereby makes little sense to promote either of them in Hall H. 

"I think it’s expensive to go and hard for movies to really pop there now and move the needle," one top marketing executive told the trade. "It used to feel like a must."

A basic Hall H presentation featuring exclusive footage and appearances from actors and filmmakers can cost "hundreds of thousands of dollars" according to one insider, especially when talent fees, travel, accommodations and production expenses are factored in.

When it's a huge Marvel Studios panel with several A-Listers, those figures rise significantly. "For the bigger stars, it gets really, really expensive," a second marketing executive said, explaining that hair, makeup, styling and first-class accommodations can add hundreds of thousands of dollars more to the bill.

DC Studios is bringing Peacemaker season 2 to the event, but as the report notes, it's a "puzzling" decision not to highlight the wider DCU given the rebooted franchise's infancy. However, the site has learned that Supergirl will be featured at a fall convention, likely New York Comic Con, in October. 

There will be some treats for fans. Universal Pictures is bringing two movies to Hall H, and Amazon MGM Studios plans to put the spotlight on Project Hail Mary. Disney and 20th Century Studios, meanwhile, will hold panels for TRON: Ares and Predator: Badlands

For what it's worth, the organisers behind Comic-Con aren't too worried that this is another edition of the annual event unlikely to make many headlines. 

"While we hope every studio or network could attend every year, we know that can’t always be the case," said David Glanzer, chief communications and strategy officer for San Diego Comic Convention. "And if there are some who can’t make it this year, we’ll be here in 2026 and eagerly await their return."

We are expecting some big news to head our way out of Comic-Con, so make sure you keep checking back here for the latest updates. 

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harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 7/5/2025, 7:07 AM
because money.
dragon316
dragon316 - 7/5/2025, 7:25 AM
They have nothing this year money no excuse to them I’ve been to comic con some celebrities show up in sweat pants , sun glasses , hair is not factor important to them always excuses excuses yes it’s expensive for hotels and travel so is making movies travel and hotels or trailers for them stay in going comic con is cheaper than making movie tv show
dragon316
dragon316 - 7/5/2025, 7:27 AM
@dragon316 - if it is true Jeremy renner made jumpy to dc left marvel for contract he made right decision dc will not make excuse such as money like this not to show up
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 7/5/2025, 8:23 AM
@dragon316 - WB/DC are also opting to skip Hall H again...

...stars turning up to sign stuff (in whatever) is a completely different thing to a major presentation in Hall H which is what this is talking about. Marvel and DC will both still have a stand somewhere with artists/writers or whatever doing talks/signings and the like if past is prologue for years with no major Hall H presentation.

Renner not turning up to do something would be more about his priority to spend time with his family and his health not money as he always made more cash outside of his film career anyway house flipping and the like.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 7/5/2025, 8:38 AM
@dragon316 - BTW where did you hear Jeremy is in talks with DC, first I've heard of it and seems unlikely all things considered. Nothing to do with being averse to talks with WB, and everything to do with his life choices after the accident, he simply isn't anywhere near as focused on big film roles that will result in months away from his family let alone getting locked in to a new franchise with a potential multiple movie contract.
MarvelousMarty
MarvelousMarty - 7/5/2025, 7:31 AM
San Diego Boring Con.
jst5
jst5 - 7/5/2025, 9:19 AM
@MarvelousMarty - Mega Con is the king of the con's now.
Mercwitham0uth
Mercwitham0uth - 7/5/2025, 7:42 AM
Because they have nothing to show.
Nolanite
Nolanite - 7/5/2025, 7:48 AM
So this is news?

All I read was that some marketing expert said something and then another executive said something else about something that didn't make sense.

And then finally some guy who isn't reputable said something else that doesn't make sense.

Noted.

Nolanite out
AllsGood
AllsGood - 7/5/2025, 7:53 AM
Everything is too Expensive today I can't even Groceries. I refuse to Pay $7.00 for Eggs and $6.00 for a Watermelon.

Thanks for Lowering Prices.

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AllsNotGood
AllsNotGood - 7/5/2025, 8:48 AM
@AllsGood - you cant even groceries?
AwesomePromoz
AwesomePromoz - 7/5/2025, 9:09 AM
@AllsNotGood - Neither can I.
thedrudo
thedrudo - 7/5/2025, 9:16 AM
@AllsGood - Where do you live where eggs and watermelon cost that?

I got an 18-count of eggs for just over $3 this weekend and watermelon is 4.67 in my Walmart+ app.
AllsGood
AllsGood - 7/5/2025, 9:52 AM
@thedrudo - Prices are High by you too. Those prices are insane.

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vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 7/5/2025, 7:54 AM
Next year will be more lively. Because Superman will be so successful, it will re ignite the genre. Then Supeeegirl, Spiderman and Doomsday will ride the hype

The absence of dc/marvel presence this year is a telling sign that it is not great atm. Money is not the only issue
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/5/2025, 8:12 AM
@vectorsigma - If Superman reignites the genre wouldn't it be better to capitalize on that with a DC Studios presentation that includes Peacemaker, Supergirl, Lanterns and Clayface?
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 7/5/2025, 9:22 AM
@ObserverIO - they are threading lightly im guessing.

It sdcc is too close to release day to see the performance. Im confident imo, but they are being careful i guess
LenSpiderman
LenSpiderman - 7/5/2025, 7:59 AM
Considering the timing of their big summer movies, they might be better off skipping it. If the movies do well, comic con isn’t likely to bolster that much since they’ll already in theaters. If the movies are doing poorly, it might only hurt them to go since DC is trying to START their shared universe, and marvel is trying to reignite theirs it’s not a great idea to attach the future to any negative feelings that are out there regarding the current movies. That said I have hopes for both movies and think they’ll both be entertaining at least, but the general consensus out there seems to be that people want these movies to fail.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 7/5/2025, 8:32 AM
@LenSpiderman - I also tend to feel they are only likely to do Hall H type stuff when there is a new slate of things to officialy announce (stuff like Blade being delayed so much after being announced there doesn't help) not so much promoting what we know about. Most of that will be mostly under wraps until closer to Secret Wars or after in regard to Marvel (they will allow unconfirmed whispers to slip onto the net but not much more than that).

WB will be waiting to see how Superman does before making decisions on such events for various reasons as a LOT will be in flux still at DC. There are less expensive ways, and better ways to reach more people faster, to promote stuff than a comicon these days (ie Internet/social media related).
gambgel
gambgel - 7/5/2025, 8:02 AM
its true that attending Comic Con doesnt seem to translate that much to big boxoffice.... after all these are events for fans. What the studios need is to attract the general audience, thats the hardest one.

Still sounds sad to not have one big studio this year. Hopefully Marvel Studios appear next year for their big Doomsday panel.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/5/2025, 8:19 AM
With Fantastic Four out that very weekend surely an FF screening event with a Q&A would have been good publicity.

In terms of a big splashy panel though, we already got that last year. They teased Doomsday and Secret Wars. RDJ was there and was revealed as Doom. That's more than enough to be going on with for the next two years of Avengers movies.

However there is a Spider-Man movie out next year and they've not really made any official announcements about it. A big story and villains reveal could have benefited the early promotion of the movie. Got the buzz going. It is less than a year away now. And what about the secret 2027 movie. Is it Doctor Strange 3 as rumored? Although that would probably have more impact if they kept that for a SDCC 2026 reveal, I guess.
MisterBones
MisterBones - 7/5/2025, 8:19 AM
Good?? COMIC Con used to be about comics
SuperiorHeckler
SuperiorHeckler - 7/5/2025, 8:41 AM
Regardless if it really is about the money or simply the timing of the movie releases themselves; the ** BIG EVENT ** reveals and sneak-peaks at Comic-Con may be a thing of the past. An elaborate indulgence that can no longer be justified. 🤨
epc1122
epc1122 - 7/5/2025, 8:43 AM
Wait a minute, I thought the stars love being at comic con to be with the fans?? 😂
thedrudo
thedrudo - 7/5/2025, 9:18 AM
@epc1122 - You know they are just complaining non-stop backstage until they walk out and turn all the fake charm on.
epc1122
epc1122 - 7/5/2025, 9:25 AM
@thedrudo - yeah, to me it comes off fake but it is what it is. Feels kind of like when kids find out Santa isn’t real. We build these stars up so much and they say to never meet your idol.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 7/5/2025, 9:26 AM
@epc1122 - Many of them likely do, doesn't mean they will do it on the cheap either, I mean an actor will likely have a minimum fee for such things if contracted to go locked into their contracts with agents if nothing else but they WILL have minimum requirements for expenses and accomodation and there are all the stuff needing to be created for projection onto the large screen or props like having a flying car over the heads of the audience.

If heading into a film with 50major characters or more the numbers would add up fast and it'd be Doomsday/Secret Wars more likely to be a focus at this stage over anything else not Spider-Man (which has the Sony complication factor).
bobevanz
bobevanz - 7/5/2025, 10:21 AM
They all have a streaming service. Disney has D23, WB has that DC thingy. It's all to save money. I've been trying for like 6 years to go to Comic Con. Now nobody goes, so I guess I just miss out entirely lmao [frick]ers
fanboy03191
fanboy03191 - 7/5/2025, 10:25 AM
So what will be at Hall H this year? Seems like kind of a light comic con...

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