Josh and Violet’s SDCC 2016 Panel Picks

Josh’s Top Panel Picks:

5. Hall H Sunday [Minus Pokemon] (Sunday, 10am-1:30pm) – This one is a bit of a cheat, but I thought I would lump most of Sunday Hall H together. Supernatural is always fun to see every year. It seems like it has almost been a tradition for us. It is an enjoyable panel even though I have to admit I usually am not quite caught up on the show when we see the panel. The “brothers” are pretty funny, and usually they have a few other people from the show in attendance, and the panel seems to be a bit of a goofball time. While I am not terribly invested in the show 24, or for that matter 24: Legacy, I am very interested in Fox’s return of Prison Break. I thought that show was really well done, for the first two seasons at least. It was a great concept for a show, and hopefully the writers/showrunners have come up with a way to make the story fresh this time around. It could certainly be a dud show, but I am remaining optimistic, and I had a lot of fun with the first one. This panel will hopefully reinforce my positive thoughts.

4. Luke Cage (Ballroom 20, Thursday, 5:45pm – 6:45pm) – Marvel might be stumbling on their primetime TV shows, but their Netflix series are on point. Daredevil and Jessica Jones have both been excellent. Luke Cage‘s introduction to that “universe” has been done well too, through Jessica Jones, so I am very excited to see where that TV show goes. Seeing a little behind the scenes of how the Netflix shows are made also interests me, so I think this could be a very interesting panel.

3. The Walking Dead (Hall H, Friday, 1:00pm to 2:00pm) – I often give The Walking Dead a hard time in my recaps. I often disagree with story decisions, but that is because it is a show I really feel passionate about. When The Walking Dead is in a groove for me, I am totally in, and right now, we are in a good spot with the show. Not to mention, if you are caught up on the current season, you know viewers are in the midst of a huge cliffhanger, so it would be nice to see discussion on that. We, of course, won’t get any answers to said cliffhanger, but it could be interesting seeing writers and actors discuss the situation.

2. Marvel Studios (Hall H, Saturday, 5:30pm to 6:45pm) – I am really looking forward to this year’s Marvel panel. They were absent last year, probably due to D23. I think this year we can expect some interesting information for a few movies coming up. Doctor Strange is right around the corner, and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is coming out just under a year from now. I also kind of hope we get some Spider-Man info, as that is coming out in just about a year, and while the rights are still technically owned by Sony, Marvel seems to be driving that ship, and Comic-Con seems like the perfect time to re-ignite some hype for the movie, even though it is still over a year away. Other interesting things that could be talked about is Black Panther, or Captain Marvel, two movies coming up down the road, but it would be interesting to see what progress is happening with those. I would also love if some mystery property gets the Marvel Movie treatment, that we don’t know about, however I think that is a long shot.

1. Warner Bros Pictures (Hall H, Saturday, 11:30am to 1:30pm – I am most excited for this panel this year. Despite my lukewarm reception of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I think DC and Warner Bros. have figured out how to “right the ship”, and Wonder Woman, LEGO Batman, and Suicide Squad all look very exciting. I also am curious to see if we get any information on other DC movies. Perhaps some information on Justice League? It has been shooting, and I think Warner Bros. really wants to repair the missteps Batman v Superman made, so it would be a perfect opportunity to do so. We might not see anything, as Justice League does not come out until November 2017, but there is a chance, given we had 3 Comic-Cons covering Batman v Superman before it came out.  Surprisingly, I am also very interested in seeing more about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I am not really a Harry Potter fan, but this movie looks interesting to me, and I have become a fan of Eddie Redmayne.

Might Be Missed:

5. USA Network’s Mr. Robot: Panel Discussion with the Cast (Room 6BCF, Thursday, 6:00pm-7:00pm) – This time on Thursday night is a crowded time slot for me. I have Luke Cage and the Overwatch panel around this time as well, so unfortunately Mr. Robot will be left out in the cold. It is unfortunate, as I really enjoy this show, and I think it would be an interesting panel, as I am curious to know more about how the show is written. Hopefully some of these panels missed can be streamed later on.

4. The Killing Joke World Premiere (Ballroom 20, Friday, 9:00pm to 12:00am) – This is another panel that I will be missing as I will likely be in line for Hall H for Saturday. I am really interested in seeing this panel, as The Killing Joke is well received by most people as a graphic novel. I have a copy of the graphic novel, but have not gotten around to reading it, which is one reason I don’t mind missing this panel. But still, with Batman being one of the best superheroes out there, and the Joker one of the best villains, I am really excited to see this animated movie, and am a bit disappointed I won’t be seeing this panel.

3. CBS Television Studios Block (Ballroom 20, Thursday, 12:00pm to 3:00pm) – I am not really a fan of most CBS shows if I am being honest. But, as a child, I was a big fan of the show MacGyver, and I am curious to see how the show is rebooted. It might be cheesy, or terrible, but again I am feeling optimistic about this one.

2. Dark Horse: Conversations with Joss Whedon (Hall H, Friday, 3:45pm to 4:45pm) – Josh Whedon–I mean Joss Whedon–is always a great panel to go to at Comic-Con. Unfortunately, my concerns over the line for Hall H being massively long might have me exiting Hall H Friday sooner than I would like, which would mean missing Joss Whedon’s panel. There generally isn’t any Earth-shattering news at these panels, or big drops, but Joss Whedon does seem to represent a successful version of us people going to Comic-Con–big nerds, who enjoy movies, TV shows, and comic books. I would also enjoy seeing him this year because now he won’t be ran into the ground as he sort of seemed to be last year, after the way Avengers: Age of Ultron really seemed to damper his spirits. While I would not expect any big news, I would like to hear him talk about Buffy, Angel or Firefly, to see what is going on with those shows. They’re probably all still just going on with their comic editions, but one can hope for some sort of revival…right?

1. Behind The Scenes of Overwatch’s Newest Hero (Room 6A, Thursday, 6:45pm-7:45pm ) – This is a panel I still may try to get to. Unfortunately, it conflicts with Luke Cage and the Mr. Robot panel, two other great panels I am looking forward to. I have been less video game focused as I have gotten older, however Overwatch has sucked me in pretty good (you can check out my review of Overwatch here). I probably would have been more invested in this panel if Ana, the new Overwatch hero, hadn’t been announced yet, although there still could be yet another hero lurking in the shadows, according to some people on the internets, so there certainly could be more information to be learned at this panel. The thought of that, and learning more about the making of the game, really makes it hard to skip this panel.

Violet’s Top Panel Picks:

There’s so much going on at SDCC, both inside and outside the convention, our plans are actually still not in place yet! I’ll go through the top 5 panels I will likely be going to (assuming I’m able to get in, that is), followed by the top 5 panels that I most likely won’t be able to make it to due to scheduling conflicts, but would want to check out if I could be in two places at once.

First Choices:

5. Fox’s Action Showcase: Prison Break and 24: Legacy. Sunday, July 24, 12:30pm-1:30pm in Hall H — I was a big fan of Prison Break when it was first on the air. Then seeing Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell together once more in The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, it was like a mini Prison Break reunion. Then the news dropped that we would be getting more Prison Break with the original actors! That got me really excited. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what could happen next with that show.

4. Entertainment Weekly: Women Who Kick Ass. Saturday, July 23, 4:30pm-5:15pm in Hall H — This has become an annual Saturday Hall H panel, and there’s always an amazing lineup of awesome women as panelists. This year is no different, with Morena Baccarin, Melissa Benoist, Nathalie Emmanuel, Lucy Lawless, Tatiana Maslany, Connie Nielsen and Ming-Na Wen. Another cool thing about this panel is that it gives you the opportunity to see some of your favorite stars that you might have had to miss on their show’s panel due to scheduling conflicts.

3. Luke Cage. Thursday, July 21, 5:45pm – 6:45pm in Ballroom 20 — I’ve really been enjoying the Netflix Marvel shows, both Daredevil  and Jessica Jones. This is the first time that Netflix is doing a panel at SDCC for one of these shows, and it feels like it is long overdue. Luke Cage had a pretty significant presence in Jessica Jones, and I’d be interested to see what things look like for this character going forward in his own dedicated show.

2. Warner Bros Pictures. Saturday, July 23, 11:30am-1:30pm in Hall H — Warner Bros. is really bringing their “A” game in this massive 2-hour panel, moderated by none other than Conan O’Brien, and featuring an amazing slate of film and talent, including Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, The LEGO Batman Movie, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Kong: Skull Island, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and of course they’re bringing the stars from each. This should be pretty exciting!

1. Marvel Studios. Saturday, July 23, 5:30pm-6:30pm in Hall H — Of course my number one pick was going to come down to Marvel, especially considering after how they sat out of SDCC last year. I missed them, as they always put on a fun panel with cool surprises, so I’m really looking forward to their return, which which feature Guardians of the Galaxy 2, presumably Doctor Strange, and maybe another surprise or two?

Second Choices:

5. USA Network’s Mr. Robot: Panel Discussion with the Cast. Thursday, July 21, 6:00pm – 7:00pm in Room 6BCF. I loved Season 1 of Mr. Robot, and I’m enjoying where Season 2 is going so far. It would be great to get some more insight on that. Why must Comic-Con be so evil and counterprogram this panel against Luke Cage?? Sigh.

4. STARZ Original Series American Gods. Friday, July 22, 3:15pm-4:15pm in Room 6BCF. Ever since the TV adaption of Neil Gaiman’s popular novel American Gods was announced, people have been raving about it. Coincidentally, a few weeks ago, the book popped up as a suggestion on my Audible account as the next audiobook I should listen to. So I’ve been listening to that for awhile and have become quite engrossed with it, though I still have a bit to go before I finish it! Taking a look at the casting, it seems very en pointe. I’d be interested to sit in on a discussion of bringing the book to the screen. However, I’ll probably either be in Hall H for the Friday lineup, or in the NDL (next day line) for Hall H on Saturday, and most likely have to miss this one, unfortunately.

3. Creating Universes. Saturday, July 23, 11:30am-12:30pm in Horton Grand Theatre. This is a really eclectic panel lineup, with Neil deGrasse Tyson (if you’re into science at, you’ll know he’s pretty awesome), Len Wein (comic book legend), and artist Rob Prior. The catch is that not only is this on Saturday, meaning we’ll (hopefully) be in Hall H, but even if we didn’t have any other plans, this panel isn’t a guarantee, no matter how early you line up. That’s because it’s at the Horton Grand Theatre, which has a seating capacity of 250, and a different entry policy than all the other rooms at SDCC: you have to line up to draw for a ticket to get in. If you draw a winning ticket, you’re in plus 1! If your ticket is not a winner, you don’t get in, and have to go to the end of the line if you want to try again. But by the time your turn to draw comes around again, it’s possible all the winning tickets may have already been given out by then.

2. Anything Goes with John Barrowman. Sunday, July 24, 2:00pm-3:00pm in Room 6BCF. If you’ve never seen a John Barrowman solo panel, you NEED to. His panels are hilarious! The whole thing is basically just a Q&A that he turns into a comedy show, and tells lots of funny stories. Even though we’ve already seen him on a solo panel a few times, and have heard a couple of the same stories, we still always try to go see him any chance we can get! Unfortunately, this time around, this panel is a bit later on Sunday afternoon, and we’ll probably be heading out of town by this time.

1. CW Superhero Shows. Saturday, July 23, 3:30pm-6:30pm in Ballroom 20. Okay, this one is a bit of a cheat. But that’s only because for the past couple of years, these shows have been lumped in altogether as one panel, which took place on Saturday night in Hall H, so I kind of see it as one big panel now. Putting the CW superhero shows at the end of the night in Hall H made for a long, exhausting Saturday, so I wasn’t sure if I was sad or relieved to see that they had been moved to Ballroom 20 as counterprogramming to Marvel Studios in Hall H. It is unfortunate that this year it’s either one or the other, you can’t have both. So I guess we won’t be seeing Supergirl, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Arrow this year, because if all goes as planned, we’ll be in Hall H.

Well, that’s my list. SDCC is always exciting, and there’s so much to do every day that there’s never a dull moment. It’s just frustrating that there’s so many things we want to do that we have to miss! It seems like SDCC is all about making the tough choices, and most of the time, Hall H wins out for us. Though I’m not sure we’ll be able to make it into Hall H every day this year…