San Diego Comic-Con is officially cancelled as the long running convention succumbs to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. For the first time in five decades, the event will not take place which will hurt the economy of San Diego. There is however a light at the end of the tunnel, as Comic-Con reps say that they do plan to reopen the event sometime in 2021, at a time when all is hopefully well and clear.
While SDCC is first and foremost a comic book convention, in recent years it has exploded into an event where Hollywood unveils their biggest tentpoles and blockbusters to adoring fans. From Marvel and Warner Bros to genre television shows, SDCC has held major reveals of everything from Phase Four of the MCU to the announcement of BATMAN V SUPERMAN.
SDCC won't break Hollywood, by any means, but it certainly will put a dent in their marketing budgets. It will also impact the hundreds of artists and creators who rely on the massive crowds to hawk their wares as well as make their careers sustainable.
JoBlo.com has been covering SDCC for well over a decade and have witnessed the crowd reaction to some of the biggest movie announcements in recent memory. It will certainly be a hit to not be there to bring you the news, but with the world approaching things very different in the wake of COVID-19, this is unfortunately a very wise decision.
You can read the organization's official letter cancelling the event below:
Comic-Con Museum Charter Members and supporters,
Comic-Con International is officially cancelling the 2020 San Diego Comic-Con, marking the first time in 50 years that the show will not go on. It is the right thing to do. Comic-Con wants to do all we can to fight the spread of this virus and support workers who are on the front line, fighting this battle.
There will be better days ahead and we believe the Comic-Con Museum will play an important role in San Diego’s recovery after COVID-19. We are a destination city and tourism is vital to our economy. The development and opening of the Comic-Con Museum will act as a catalyst to reopen one of the world’s best urban park’s and a destination city known world-wide.
Some of the proposed Phase I renovations will shift, but this will not scale back the visitor experience. Our 2021 grand opening is still on track and you will soon see building plans that illustrate this transformation. To ensure we stay connected in this new reality, the Museum will introduce new and creative digital ways to bring the magic of Comic-Con to you all year-round.
We will redouble our efforts to regain momentum on opening this museum by 2021. And we can’t wait to work with you to realize this vision. Better days are ahead.