15 Things We're Looking Forward To At San Diego Comic-Con 2018

San Diego Comic-Con International 2018 begins this week, which means it's once again time to list our 15 most anticipated panels at the convention. In years past, television has taken over the big presentation slots as Hollywood studios like Disney have decided to forgo the trip to San Diego. This year, even fewer studios are in attendance, and even on the television side, HBO is absent. So it's a much different year at the annual gathering of pop culture and comic geeks. What made our list of the most anticipated panels for Comic-Con 2018? Which films should be at Comic-Con this year but aren't? Hit the jump to find out.

Please note: We have decided to limit this list to official Comic-Con panels, which means it doesn't include any of the offsite events or on-the-floor events like signings or offerings of exclusive items. What follows are our top 15 most anticipated panel presentations for the 2018 convention.

You can also listen to the podcast version of this list in the player above. You can subscribe to /Film Daily on iTunes, Google Play, Overcast, Spotify and all the popular podcast apps (here is the RSS URL if you need it).

David Lynch revived Twin Peaks into a weird, wild, and utterly brilliant Showtime series last year. While I don't expect anything new to come out of this panel (as in, I doubt they'll be announcing a new season), the panel will feature cast members Mädchen Amick (Shelly Briggs/Shelly Johnson), Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer/Carrie Page/Maddy Ferguson), Sherilyn Fenn (Audrey Horne), Kimmy Robertson (Lucy Brennan/Lucy Moran), Harry Goaz (Deputy Andy Brennan), James Marshall (James Hurley), Adele Rene (Lt. Cynthia Knox), Chrysta Bell (FBI Agent Tammy Preston), Nicole LaLiberte (Darya), John Pirruccello (Deputy Chad Broxford), Amy Shiels (Candie), and George Griffith (Ray Monroe) all discussing the show's strange, surreal legacy. David Lynch won't be there...or will he? You never know, he might be hiding somewhere in the audience disguised as a glowing gold orb. (Chris Evangelista)

The first season of Star Trek: Discovery was a mixed bag, but here's the thing: virtually every first season of a Star Trek series is a mixed bag. Production on season 1 was a bit tumultuous, climaxing with the firing of the original showrunners, but massive changes sometimes mean massive improvements. With the slate cleaned and the foundation built, Star Trek: Discovery is possibly poised to grow into a legitimately great show with its next batch of episodes...or just crumble completely. The panel will either fill fans with hope or drive them to despair. In either case, it's going to be a must-see. (Jacob Hall)

With Ryan Reynolds, you never know what to expect. There's nothing huge to reveal about Deadpool 2 since the sequel already hit theaters earlier this summer. But there's the big Deadpool 2 uncut screening happening at the convention to get excited about. I guess it's more about the prospect about what could happen during this panel that has us interested. Maybe there will be an announcement about X-Force. Maybe Deadpool will be there in person. Anything can happen! (Ethan Anderton)

HBO's Game of Thrones transformed George R.R. Martin from a niche name known in geek circles to a regarded household icon. However, Martin had a lengthy career before he introduced the world to Westeros and now swaths of his other contributions to the world of genre lit are starting to march to the screen. Next up is Nightflyers, a novella and series of short stories that Martin published in the '80s, which is coming to Syfy as a new television series. What does a science fiction show (about a doomed spaceship and its equally doomed crew) based on Martin's work look like? Can it generate the level of interest Game of Thrones has showcased over the years? I don't know, but I'm very curious to find out. (Jacob Hall)

With Amazon bringing a whole slew of shows to hype at Comic-Con, of course this panel is going to pique curiosity. We've got the revival of Jack Ryan starring John Krasinski; a new project from the works of beloved writer Neil Gaiman; something new from Sam Esmail, the creator of Mr. Robot; and a horror anthology series from Gale Anne Hurd, the producer of Aliens, The Terminator and The Walking Dead. Plus, Amazon is even going to tease their saving of The Expanse from the depths of cancellation hell, and The Tick is there too. That's a hell of a lot to look forward to for all you binge watchers out there. (Ethan Anderton)

With the world of The Purge petering out on the big screen (the new movie was a modest success, but it looks like the end of the line), Blumhouse's blend of gruesome horror and social commentary is looking to jump mediums. This fall, USA will premiere the TV version of the near-future sci-fi/horror series, which takes place in a dystopian United States where all crime is legalized for one night a year. Will the premise survive the jump to longform storytelling? And will the small screen be a good home for a series that has managed to blend gratuitous horror and chilling satire into a delightful and bitter cocktail? This panel has a lot to prove and I couldn't be more curious. (Jacob Hall)

I can't believe it's been a decade since Star Wars: The Clone Wars began airing. It seems like just yesterday Star Wars Rebels started up, but that's also already over. Executive producer Dave Filoni and a panel of unannounced guests will look back on 10 years of the Emmy Award-winning series that expanded the Star Wars universe. We can expect that Ashley Eckstein and Matt Lanter will be there, but who else? It's sure to be a very emotional hour, even though we don't really know what is in store for this panel. Rumor has it they might even be talking about future animated series content. It's amazing that Comic-Con didn't give Lucasfilm a bigger room for this panel, as I'm sure many Star Wars fans will be camping out to get into this very small ballroom. (Peter Sciretta)

The original Predator from 1987 isn't one of my favorite action movies, but it's certainly a staple from that decade. So why do I find myself so excited by The Predator? Maybe it's the prospect of Shane Black behind the camera after having a supporting role in the first movie. Maybe it's the incredible ensemble cast that includes Sterling K. Brown, Boy Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Keegan-Michael Key, and more. Or maybe it's just because that most recent trailer looked badass, and it's about time we had another good Predator movie on the big screen again. (Ethan Anderton)

Disenchantment comes from Simpsons and Futurama creator Matt Groening, and it definitely looks more in the vein of the latter rather than the former. Much of the same voice cast of Futurama, as well as the same animation house, are in charge of the Netflix series, which adds Futurama-style humor to a fairy tale setting. That's pretty damn promising, because for years, Futurama was one of the most original, creative animated shows on TV. So was The Simpsons, but that was a long, long, long time ago, back before the show morphed into the lifeless husk it is now. The Comic-Con panel will offer a sneak peek at the show, which is set to premiere on Netflix in August. (Chris Evangelista)

A few months ago, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was cancelled. But only for about 24 hours. Fox's beloved cop comedy was quickly rescued by NBC for a sixth season and its passionate fanbase breathed a sigh of relief – the sweetest and silliest show on television would live to protect and serve for another day. So the panel this year should be an interesting one: the cast and crew know they've been given a second chance and the assembled fans will be more grateful than ever, knowing that this won't be the final time this group of people get to assemble before fans. It should be a joyous occasion. (Jacob Hall)

Two different Spider-Man universe titles, two very different projects. Venom has a lot to prove, and we're anxious to see what Sony Pictures can do without the webslinger as opposition for the Marvel Comics villain/anti-hero. Tom Hardy helps sweeten the deal, but we still want to see more of what this movie is going to be. Meanwhile, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse looks like something completely different for comic book movies and it could open the door for some awesome adaptations of other comic books that might be too wild and crazy for live-action. We can't wait to see more footage from that one. (Ethan Anderton)

I'll be weird here and admit I'm much more excited about the Better Call Saul panel than I am the Breaking Bad reunion, because I'm that oddball who prefers Saul to Bad. That said, this panel should be amazing. The original cast of Breaking Bad – Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul and more – will all gather together with creator Vince Gilligan to reflect on the legacy of the show that helped change television as we know it. In addition to that, the majority of the Better Call Saul – Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks,  Rhea Seehorn and so on – will gather to offer insight into the new season of what might be the best show on TV right now.  (Chris Evangelista)

What does a Transformers movie without Michael Bay even look like? The first trailer for Bumblebee looked more like a live action 80s-set Iron Giant than a Transformers film, and that has me excited. The Paramount panel will give us an extended look at Travis Knight's live-action feature debut. And there is always the possibility that they could tease other future films in the Transformers cinematic universe. (Peter Sciretta)

With Marvel Studios sitting it out this year, is it any surprise that Warner Bros. is one of our most anticipated panels of this year's convention? WB always brings big movies and surprise reveals to San Diego, and they know how to put on a show – they installed huge screens a few years ago that take over all sides of the auditorium. This year, Warner Bros. has kept everyone in the dark as to what they are bringing to San Diego. They have not announced any of the films, and they know that Hall H will be packed on Saturday morning regardless.

We expect WB to talk about the future of the DC movie universe, including closer looks at Aquaman, Wonder Woman 1984, and Shazam! But will we get any other announcements about the future DC films? Also expected is Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and we speculate that Mowgli, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, The LEGO Movie 2, and possibly even Creed II could make appearances. Warner Bros. has two whole hours on that stage, and we have no idea what they will show us. In the past, they have announced films with concept trailers, so there may be some surprises that we have no idea about whatsoever. (Peter Sciretta)

In all honesty, this panel might be the only thing I can say I'm 100% looking forward to at Comic-Con this year. Sure, a lot of the panels seem like they'll be fun, but this is the be-all, end-all for me. I'm a ride or die M. Night Shyamalan fan – Philly, represent – and I've stuck with him even when his films got a bit dire. Now the filmmaker is in the midst of a comeback, and he's unleashing Glass, a sequel to both his dark superhero movie Unbreakable and his thriller Split. The director will be bringing a trailer for the film to SDCC, and I can't wait to see it.Then there's Halloween. David Gordon Green and Danny McBride hope to breathe new life into the stagnant Halloween franchise, and I couldn't be more excited. Star Jamie Lee Curtis is expected to be in attendance as well, and while we've already seen a trailer for the film, the Hall H panel promises a "few riveting surprises." (Chris Evangelista)