SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego Comic-Con officially kicked into full gear on Thursday, fresh after Wednesday’s preview night for badgeholders.
On the first full day of the convention, thousands of people flooded through the doors of the San Diego Convention Center and headed straight into the exhibit hall, which was jam-packed with exhibit booths, immersive experiences, giveaways and more.
Here’s a look at just some of the booths on the show floor on Day 1 of San Diego Comic-Con:
Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” costumes
Marvel has been woven into the fabric of SDCC over the years, not only for its long history of beloved comic books but, more recently, because of its major presence in Hollywood.
Although Marvel Studios chose to opt out of hosting a major Hall H panel this year announcing its future film projects, Marvel Comics still promoted its newest film, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” in the exhibit hall as part of its main booth.
Costumes worn by the titular characters in the film were on display, as well as pieces of artwork inspired by the popular comic book superheroes.
Fans attending the Marvel booth could also line up to get a design of their choice printed on either a shirt or tote bag.
DC’s “Superman: A Friendship Unleashed” exclusive
In collaboration with Milk-Bone, the DC booth offered fans the chance to take home a free copy of “Superman: A Friendship Unleashed” with a cover made exclusively for SDCC. The cover features Superman and his partner Krypto and is free of any logos or text for a collectible and clean look.
Similar to Marvel, DC chose not to hold a panel announcing future film projects in Hall H this year. However, James Gunn, the director of the recently released “Superman” (2025) film, was confirmed to join the cast of the TV streaming series, “Peacemaker,” (which is also DC Comics property) for a Hall H panel on Thursday.
Hot Wheels “Back to the Future” 40th anniversary
Great Scott! Hot Wheels released an SDCC exclusive set featuring a die-cast DeLorean in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Robert Zemeckis’ classic “Back to the Future” (1985). The anniversary set also included the Dr. E. Brown’s Enterprises truck which was used to transport the DeLorean, all packaged in a diorama with Twin Pines Mall as the backdrop.
The Hot Wheels exhibit is a part of the Mattel booth.
WWE Superstars
Another component of the Mattel booth highlighted the stars of the world of wrestling. The exhibit “WWE Superstars” featured action figures of iconic wrestlers, including John Cena, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Hulk Hogan and others.
Plus, wrestling fans had the opportunity to take a photo with and meet some of their favorite stars, as well as grab a free collectible poster to take home.
T. rex head from “Jurassic Park”
A giant Tyrannosaurus rex head could be spotted as part of the Elite Creature Collectibles booth, which delighted fans of the “Jurassic Park” franchise. Mattel was also selling an SDCC exclusive set featuring an iconic moment from “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” (1997), but with a San Diego twist — the scene of the T. rex running loose instead takes place inside the convention center.
The convention, which lasts through Sunday, attracts thousands of people both with and without badges to the Gaslamp Quarter for various free, themed activations inspired by popular fandoms.
However, only those who have secured a badge to the event gain exclusive access to official Comic-Con programming and exhibits within the San Diego Convention Center and participating hotels, including the Omni San Diego Hotel, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina and the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
