San Diego Comic-Con 2026 has wrapped, and by the standards of an event that runs on crowd control and controlled chaos, it went smoothly. No catastrophes. No panels collapsing under their own hype. The one genuine sore spot involved attendees holding wristbands who found themselves unable to enter the panels those wristbands were supposed to guarantee.

Nobody has offered a definitive explanation. The two leading theories are counterfeit passes being used to jump lines and lock out legitimate holders, or straightforward logistical failure on the convention’s part. Either way, people who did everything right ended up outside rooms they had earned a place in, and that is the kind of thing that lingers.

Everything else was considerably more fun. Chief among the good news: Rick Moranis is returning for Spaceballs: The New One, which drew the sort of reaction that reminds you why people queue overnight for these things.

Marvel Owned the Weekend

The studio’s Hall H presentation delivered the convention’s two biggest surprises, and both landed hard.

Ryan Gosling is joining the MCU as Ghost Rider in a new film. That casting alone would have carried a news cycle. Marvel paired it with the announcement that Black Panther III will pass the mantle to T’Challa’s son, a generational handoff fans have speculated about since the second film.

Attendees also got a further look at Avengers: Doomsday footage, with Deadpool apparently involved in some capacity. Kevin Feige addressed the film’s structure directly, framing Doomsday as all the setup Doctor Doom requires before whatever comes next.

Ryan Reynolds turned up on the show floor in the Deadpool suit, which was confirmed rather than merely rumored, and which is exactly the sort of thing that makes the convention feel different from a press release.

The Trailer Haul

The trailer slate was unusually deep this year, spanning streaming prestige, animation and video games.

Prime Video finally opened up on Blade Runner 2099, with Michelle Yeoh appearing as Olwen. The series creator also spoke about how the show connects to the films, a question that has followed the project since it was announced.

Apple TV’s adaptation of Neuromancer got its first teaser, bringing William Gibson’s novel to the screen at a moment that several attendees described as eerily well-timed given where technology has gone.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power unveiled new characters and a first look at season three, with Jamie Campbell Bower appearing as Celeborn. The creative team described it as the season everything so far has been building toward.

Elsewhere: Avatar: Seven Havens revealed humanity’s new hope in its debut teaser. Marvel’s Wolverine got a bloody story trailer. Lanterns showed its most substantial footage yet. Futurama season 14 promised more of what it does. Dark Matter season 2 expanded across dimensions. Mike Flanagan’s Carrie offered a first glimpse of its take on high school as a personal hell. And there is a Matchbox movie trailer now, which exists.

A new Mobile Suit Gundam anime was also announced, coming from the creative mind behind Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

Film News Beyond Marvel

Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn came across as more ambitious than the animated-movie label suggests.

Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil generated one of the weekend’s better production anecdotes, involving human-sized bags of blood dropped from six stories up. Practical effects are back, apparently, and messier than ever.

Onslaught was described as a spiritual sequel to The Guest. Guillermo del Toro confirmed he is converting Pan’s Labyrinth to 3D, and specified that the process involves no AI. The Star Wars hotel, that magnificent and expensive failure, is the subject of yet another documentary.

The Spaceballs: The New One panel was reportedly joyous, and the reason the film came to Comic-Con at all turned out to be genuinely heartwarming.

Not everything went perfectly. The rollout of Avatar Aang continued to be messy, a pattern the project has struggled to escape.

Television Highlights

Interview With the Vampire is returning for a fourth season. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is introducing a troublemaking new alien in season two. Common Side Effects gave a first look at its second season. Dark Matter’s team promised something bigger, meaner and more emotional. Flanagan pledged that his Carrie will upend expectations.

One of the more unusual announcements: an official Star Wars cartoon that has never been seen publicly will debut at the Lucas Museum.

Comics and Collectibles

Scott Pilgrim is returning in what was described as the most Sonic way imaginable. Marvel is bringing Indiana Jones back into comics. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have one more Last Ronin story in them. And the Star Wars 50th anniversary is being marked with a run of new books.

On the merchandise side, Lego revealed a USS Enterprise bridge set. DC brought an Absolute Batman limited edition box set. WandaVision fans got new Marvel Legends figures. Avengers: Doomsday Hot Toys provided the clearest look yet at Doctor Doom. And toys for the new Street Fighter movie may have quietly given away a significant plot point, which is a tradition at this point.

The Floor Itself

Beyond panels and announcements, the convention floor delivered its usual spectacle. The Lantern Training Headquarters experience drew strong reactions, as did a 40th anniversary concert for Transformers: The Movie that ran on pure nostalgia.

Cosplay, as always, was the constant. Four days, four rounds of standouts, and the reminder that for a large share of attendees the costumes are the point rather than the trailers.

Comic-Con 2026 is done. The wristband mystery remains unsolved.