There is so much going on at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, but here are a few things that really should go down amid the 130,000-plus attendees. (A fan can dream.)
We finally see the battle room in Ender's Game.
Ender's Game panel
Thursday, July 18
Scheduled to attend: Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, producer Roberto Orci, director Gavin Hood
What we need to see: How Hood will pull off the massive zero-gravity arena where young Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) trains to defeat the alien horde threatening Earth is just one of several major questions hanging over this film. A few others: What will the aliens (aka buggers, aka Formics) look like? How much of a presence will Ender's siblings have in the movie? Will anyone have the stones to ask Harrison Ford about the next Star Wars movie? And, of course, what if anything will be said about the announced boycott of the film due to the anti-same-sex marriage views held by Ender's Game novelist Orson Scott Card?
Summit Entertainment
We see Tris rappel off the Hancock building in Divergent.
Divergent panel
Thursday, July 18
Scheduled to attend: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Miles Teller, Maggie Q, Ansel Elgort, Mekhi Phifer, Ben Lamb, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Christian Madsen, novelist Veronica Roth, director Neil Burger
What we need to see: Basically, anything from this adaptation of the bestselling YA novel would be welcome. But what will likely rouse the Comic-Con crowd most are the scenes of Tris (Shailene Woodley) and her Dauntless pals' harrowing exploration of a post-apocalyptic Chicago — including watching her leap off the moving El train.
Oh, and sexy times between Tris and Four (Theo James) wouldn't hurt either.
Jaap Buitendijk
Mulder and Scully gently apologize for the last X-Files movie, announce a new kick-ass X-Files movie, and then make out.
The X-Files 20th anniversary panel
Thursday, July 18
Scheduled to attend: Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny, series creator Chris Carter, and writers/producers David Amann, Vince Gilligan, Howard Gordon, Darin Morgan, Glen Morgan, John Shiban and Jim Wong
What we need to see: To have all these X-Files alumni on the same stage is a treat in and of itself, but an explanation for the weird and disappointing The X-Files: I Want To Believe would be nice as well.
20th Century Fox
Either we finally learn why Lydia is even on Teen Wolf, or Stiles and Derek finally just get it over with and come out as a couple.
Teen Wolf panel
Thursday, July 18
Scheduled to attend: Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed, Dylan O'Brien, Tyler Hoechlin, Holland Roden, Charlie Carver, Max Carver, executive producer Jeff Davis
What we need to see: Last year, the Teen Wolf panel mostly consisted of an early screening of the latest episode and some playful flirtatious banter among the cast. This year, let's either throw poor Lydia a bone, or dispense with the pretense and give the Sterek shippers what they've wanted for three seasons.