San Diego Comic-Con is going to look a little different this year. But, at the same time, it’ll be looking the same as last year, of course due to COVID-19. The planners behind SDCC announced today that San Diego Comic-Con once again will not be holding an in-person convention during its typical mid-to-late July event date.
Comic-Con shared the announcement on social media, saying that they will again implement the Comic-Con@Home model to make up for there not being any in-person events that month. Last year, Comic-Con@Home consisted of a few days worth of panels done entirely online. The event was free and anyone could pop in on the panels, which were streamed on YouTube. They also held a virtual convention floor where items could be bought from partnered merchants.
And yet, there will still be some modifications to last year’s model for 2021. The event will now only run from Friday, July 23 to Sunday, July 25, 2021 — meaning they cut the extra Wednesday and Thursday con days that usually encompass the full SDCC week.
In a surprising twist, Comic-Con says they are planning a new, mini-convention that will take place sometime in November. This fall convention is intended to be an in-person one, which means all eyes will eventually be on New York Comic Con as to whether they will hold an in-person event as well — as they typically hold their conventions in October.
— Comic-Con International (@Comic_Con) March 1, 2021
Comic-Con 2021 and Star Wars
The big question for Star Wars fans is: Will there be any Star Wars content at San Diego Comic-Con 2021, especially now that it’s an online convention? With Disney and Lucasfilm’s actions in recent years, we’re leaning more heavily toward “No.”
Disney opted out of basically all of Comic-Con@Home in July of 2020. By October of 2020, there were a small handful of Star Wars panels at New York Comic Con, mostly for The High Republic series. But they were really saving the big guns for their own Investor Day presentation in December. It may have been an event for all Disney properties, but they had a lot to share as far as Star Wars news went.
There’s also a Star Wars Celebration planned for 2022. And while that might be another year away, we wouldn’t hold it against Lucasfilm to just wait until then to announce more stuff. There will also be a D23 Expo in 2022 as well — just in case they need another outlet to share their announcements.
For more, keep up with the Star Wars News category on Dork Side of the Force.