There was absolute mayhem inside Hall H at the Warner Bros. panel on Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con. Along with sneak peaks for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – due out a whole two years from now – there were quick appearances by some very big stars like Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill – looking buff and handsome indeed. Not even a word slipped their mouths, as superheroes often just use their eyes to communicate. Zack Snyder also took a quick break from the New York set to be here, flying in that morning.
For the first look at The Wachowski duo’s Jupiter Ascending, Channing Tatum graced us with his presence, apologized for Mila Kunis being “very, very pregnant and not able to attend,” and mentioned he’d be walking the floor later on to take in Comic-Con like a champ.
“Can you actually walk the floor?” asked moderator Chris Hardwick. “You should take your clothes off and say it’s Magic Mike cosplay.” Screams erupted.
Taking it like a champ and smartly bringing the conversation back to the film – which releases July 2015 – Tatum plugged the film: “It’s not a book or a comic, so they’re really trying to push boundaries.”
Mad Max: Fury Road, due out a couple months before Jupiter, gave us an extended look at one of the epic chase scenes from the re-imagining of George Miller’s 1979 Mel Gibson-led action flick. And the man himself paid a visit to Hall H. Miller that is, not Mel.
“[The story of Mad Max] is a really simple allegory,” said Miller, who admitted it was his first Comic-Con and that his family didn’t believe he was there. [A selfie with the audience quickly rectified that.] “It’s like a Western on wheels. Although it’s set 45 years in the future, you’re able to go back to a time where there’s no rule or order.”
Last, but certainly not least to the nerds who slept overnight on the street just to get in to Hall H, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies panel featured Peter Jackson – the man himself, co-writer/producer Philippa Boyens, Cate Blanchett, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Benedict Cumberbatch, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, and Andy Serkis.
Stephen Colbert – in full Laketown garb – moderated with smart questions and thoughtful input. Which makes sense, as he is part of the Laketown Spy Network.
“If you’re anything like me,” he said to the crowd chanting his name, “you don’t just love these stories, you treasure the world of J.R.R Tolkien.”
During the 40-minute panel, Colbert pointed out that Wood does not age, nor do any of the elves for that matter, including Blanchett, Bloom and Lilly.
“Yes, I was typecast as an elf,” offered a straight-faced Blanchett.
And there ensued a conversation on elf ears between the elves themselves: “I know just how sexy a long pointy ear can be,” chimed in Lilly.
Before they revealed the trailer for the first time, they played a spectacular gag-reel from the previous five films, complete with Ian McKellen bumbling over more then a few lines.
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