Honestly, the energy heading into the 2025 convention season felt different. If you were scrolling through social media last year, you probably saw the doom-scrolling about "empty" halls and missing studios. But the reality of comic con 2025 panels turned out to be a massive course correction that most casual observers totally missed.
People kept saying Hall H was dead. Wrong. It was just evolving.
While the "Big Three" (Marvel, DC, and Star Wars) played a very specific, tactical game this year—with Marvel and Star Wars famously sitting out the San Diego Hall H rotation—the vacuum was filled by some of the most experimental and fan-focused programming we've seen in a decade. It wasn't about a single three-minute trailer; it was about the "Hellaverse," the return of cult classics, and a huge push from streamers like Prime Video and Sony Pictures Television.
Why comic con 2025 panels shifted the spotlight
Basically, the era of the "Mega-Panel" where one studio drops ten release dates and disappears is over. This year was about depth.
Take the Percy Jackson and the Olympians panel in Hall H. Usually, a Season 2 teaser would be a footnote. In 2025? It was the main event. Walker Scobell and the crew didn't just show a trailer; they confirmed the December 10 release date and brought out the executive producers to actually talk about the "Sea of Monsters" adaptation in a way that felt like a workshop, not a press junket.
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Then you had the Peacemaker Season 2 takeover. James Gunn basically turned the panel into "PeaceFest." John Cena and the cast didn't just sit there; they dropped a multiverse-teasing trailer that had everyone questioning the new DCU timeline. It wasn't just a panel. It was a statement.
The Streaming Giants Stepped Up
- Prime Video’s Hellaverse: This was probably the loudest room of the weekend. Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss creators united for the first time, and the fan energy was literally vibrating the floor.
- Sony’s Heavy Hitters: Sony Pictures Television brought the heat with Twisted Metal Season 2 and the Outlander prequel, Blood of My Blood. Anthony Mackie is just as chaotic in person as you’d hope.
- Apple TV+ at NYCC: By the time New York Comic Con rolled around in October, Slow Horses was the surprise darling. Seeing Gary Oldman (well, via video) and the cast talk about Season 5 was a sharp contrast to the usual superhero fare.
The Hall H "No-Show" Myth
You've probably heard that Marvel and DC skipped 2025. That's technically a half-truth. While Marvel Studios didn't do the big Saturday night Hall H blowout, their presence was felt everywhere else. The comic con 2025 panels for Marvel Legends and Women of Marvel were packed to the rafters.
DC did something even more interesting. Instead of one big movie panel, they spent the year celebrating their "First 100 Years" in 10-year increments. Their booth was a living museum, and the Absolute Batman panel with Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta was arguably more influential for the actual comic book community than any movie teaser could have been.
They weren't "missing." They were just refocusing on the "Comic" part of Comic-Con.
Major Surprises Nobody Saw Coming
The Alien: Earth pilot screening was the "I was there" moment of the summer. Noah Hawley is doing things with the Xenomorph mythos that feel genuinely terrifying again. Seeing it in a dark room with 6,000 other people is a core memory for anyone who stood in that line for six hours.
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And let's talk about The Simpsons. With the big movie studios playing coy, the Simpsons panel in Ballroom 20 became the "must-see" event. Matt Groening is still the king of the convention floor, and the Season 37 sneak peek proved the show has a weird, indestructible staying power.
How to Actually Navigate These Panels Now
If you're planning for the next cycle, forget the old rules. You don't just "show up" for the big names anymore.
- The "Off-Site" Strategy: In 2025, some of the best "panels" weren't even in the convention center. The Brawl Stars Starr Park and the Twisted Metal bumper cars were immersive story-telling bits that offered more info than the Q&As did.
- Room 6BCF is the new Hall H: This is where the gaming and mid-tier TV stuff lives. Marvel Rivals and Invincible Season 4 (with the Matthew Rhys/Dinosaurus reveal!) happened in these "smaller" rooms.
- The NYCC Shift: New York is no longer the "little brother" to San Diego. The 20th Anniversary celebration at NYCC 2025 felt just as big, especially with the Star Trek Universe and Blumfest lineups.
Actionable Insights for the Fandom
The biggest takeaway from the comic con 2025 panels is that the industry is moving toward "niche-at-scale." You've got to follow the creators, not just the brand logos.
If you want the real scoops for future cons, start looking at the smaller press events from companies like Hasbro and McFarlane Toys. They often drop the character designs months before the trailers. Also, keep an eye on the "Directors on Directing" style panels. They are usually less crowded but offer 10x the actual information about how your favorite movies are getting made.
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Don't just chase the trailers. Chase the production stories. That’s where the real "con" experience has migrated to in 2026 and beyond.