Marvel, Sony, HBO, Universal, and Netflix are all skipping San Diego Comic-Con 2023

The event schedule for San Diego Comic-Con 2023 is looking grim. After reports that Marvel is skipping its Hall H presentation at the nerdiest entertainment event of the year, we’re hearing about more cancelations for the annual celebration. According to reports, Marvel, Sony, HBO, Universal, and Netflix will skip SDCC in 2023.

The likely reason for the cancelations stems from the ongoing strikes across the film and television industry. SAG-ASTRA and the AMPTP have until June 30 to come to agreeable terms. If the deadline expires, actors could join writers and showrunners in refusing to participate in hype-powered events like San Diego Comic-Con. With multiple studios sitting out this year’s SDCC, what the organization plans to fill Hall H with is anyone’s guess.

Due to Marvel’s cancelation, attendees of the con won’t be able to enjoy previews of upcoming content from the monolith company, including details about The Marvels, Loki Season 2, Ahsoka, and Haunted Mansion. As for HBO, the network could have previewed True Detective Season 4 and House of the Dragon Season 2 (which is in production). Sony has Gran Turismo and Kraven the Hunter, while Universal Pictures has Last Voyage of the Demeter, Strays, and The Exorcist. As for Netflix, the stream held a robust TUDUM event last weekend in Brazil, previewing several upcoming films and television series.

Warner Bros. is taking a “wait and see” approach to SDCC 2023. The studio is licking its wounds from The Flash’s underperformance at the box office and still needs to crank the PR machine for Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. If the studio decides to attend, their content could be minimal, with a handful of films and upcoming Max content to share with fans.

Paramount Pictures plans to hold a panel for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, but Paramount+ is not confirming presentations for its slate of Star Trek shows. NBC will attend if actors don’t join the writers’ strike, but Peacock is not obligated to follow suit. Amazon will attend the show to bring new material for The Wheel of Time Season 2 and The Boys: Gen V, but that’s little to plan your schedule around.

“With regard to the strike and its possible effects on Comic-Con, we tend to refrain from speculation or forecasting. I will say, our hope is for a speedy resolution that will prove beneficial to all parties and allow everyone to continue the work they love. Until then, we continue to diligently work on our summer event in the hopes of making it as fun, educational, and celebratory as in years past,” Comic-Con spokesperson David Glanzer told Variety when asked to comment on the situation.

What do you think of the state of San Diego Comic-Con 2023? Do you still plan to attend now that all these studios have dropped out? Is SDCC going the way of E3? Let us know what you think in the comments below.