Here are some of the biggest buzz-generating movie and TV previews from this year’s Comic-Con:
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
Lucasfilm didn’t bring a new trailer for The Force Awakens to Comic-Con, but it did bring a fantastic behind-the-scenes video that includes quite a bit of new footage from the film and showcases some of the new and familiar faces, places, and plot points that will be a big part of director J.J. Abrams’ long-awaited continuation of the Star Wars saga. Even without a new trailer, the Star Wars panel on Friday was one of the highlights of this year’s convention, proving the tremendously broad, generation-spanning appeal of the Star Wars universe.
Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice
The impending brawl between two of the comic world’s most famous superheroes continues to be one of the most-anticipated movie events of 2016. Warner Bros. stoked the fires with a new trailer that emphasized the threat posed by Superman and the reason why Batman is determined to bring the Man of Steel to his knees.
Deadpool
Last year, Mad Max: Fury Road was one of the sleeper hits of Comic-Con, and generated a ridiculous amount of buzz following the debut of its first trailer. This year, that distinction goes to the solo debut of the mouthy mercenary Deadpool, with an “R”-rated trailer that offered a pretty good idea of what we can expect from the upcoming film: intense action, non-stop (and self-aware) humor, and a lot of dialogue from Ryan Reynolds as the chatterbox antihero. 20th Century Fox refrained from releasing the trailer wide, so all we have are blurry audience recordings at this point — but even at that resolution (and in the hated vertical format), the movie looks like something special.
Suicide Squad
David Ayer’s supervillain team-up movie has been another polarizing project for Warner Bros., with issues surrounding the new Joker played by Jared Leto and various other concerns voiced by fans. However, the first preview of the film seemed to win over some skeptics, and offered the very first footage from a project that is certainly intriguing, to say the least. Not only did it provide the first taste of what to expect from this new version of Batman’s famous foe, but it set the tone for the film — which is apparently just as dark as the rest of WB’s comic-book movies so far (but rightly so, in this case). The studio opted not to release the trailer wide (which is seeming more and more naive every year), so all we have again is a version recorded by an audience member.
Ash vs. Evil Dead
At various points over the last decade, it seemed like a revival of the Evil Dead franchise was always close to happening but cursed to never actually make it to the screen (big or small). Fans no longer need to worry, though, as the first trailer for the upcoming limited series Ash Vs. Evil Dead debuted at Comic-Con and assured anyone who still had doubts that the chainsaw-wielding, reluctant hero Ashley J. Williams is indeed back in action.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Filmmaker Guy Ritchie’s upcoming big-screen adaptation of the popular ’60s spy series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. generated some much-needed positive buzz with an extended trailer that premiered during the Warner Bros. panel over the weekend. While it was overshadowed a bit by Batman V. Superman, it nevertheless featured a convenient segue, with Superman himself — Henry Cavill — starring in the August 14 movie.
Outcast
The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman’s comic-book projects have become a hot commodity in Hollywood, and the latest to make the leap from page to screen is Outcast. Set to debut on Cinemax, the series follows a man plagued by demonic possession for much of his life and his quest to finally end the supernatural curse that has prevented him from living a normal existence. The first episode was written by Kirkman himself, and the debut trailer for the series premiered over the weekend.
Arrow / The Flash / Legends of Tomorrow
Warner Bros. teased the upcoming seasons of returning superhero series Arrow and The Flash along with the debut season of team-up series Legends of Tomorrow in a stylized trailer that juxtaposed the evolution of each television series’ characters against their comic-book counterparts. Both of the returning series are scheduled for October premieres, while Legends of Tomorrow is expected to debut mid-season.
Damien
Also debuting during Comic-Con was the first trailer for Damien, the upcoming television series that serves as a sequel to the 1976 horror film The Omen, about a young boy destined to become the Antichrist. There’s no release date set for the series, which will air on A&E network, but if the premise seems interesting, you might want to track down The Omen to prep for this one.
