And they include a certain favorite animated robot of mine, plus the return to the Marvel universe by a beloved actor, and a performance out of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ — all the stuff geek dreams are made of!

I’m a new arrival into geekdom, following my journey to Annecy this year to witness all The Wild Robot events to introduce the film to the animation lovers participating in the French festival. But once I become a believer, I’m in it for life and my latest encounter with a film like Deadpool & Wolverine, which I would have foregone in my earlier days, is proof.

Cinema is like that. If you allow it to, it forms a special place inside your heart and that place grows and grows with each film, accommodating a new genre and more storylines within it. That niche inside you never shrinks, it only gets larger with each viewing and for me, it’s the source of great satisfaction.

The cast and crew of ‘The Wild Robot’ interact with fans in San Diego

So let’s start with DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot, while we are on the subject. San Diego is the largest, most famous of comic book convention, or comic con as it is popularly known. And it also benefits from its proximity to Hollywood which is a plus when bringing down celebrities to promote the films. I’ve driven the freeway from LA to San Diego many, many times and if you go when the traffic is light, it’s less than two hours door to door.

So when it was time to bring down the glamorous and ultra cool Lupita Nyong'o, along with her voice co-stars Kit Connor, Pedro Pascal and Mark Hamill, but also The Wild Robot’s director Chris Sanders and the film’s maverick producer Jeff Hermann, it proved a piece of cake. And what a cinematic, visually stunning, and elegant piece of cake that is — trust me, I’ve seen excerpts from the film and it rules!

The cast and crew, some of whom I’ve become FB friends with from our time in Annecy, shared lots of photos from the event, but I’ll keep to the public ones from Nyong’o’s Insta. It looked like a blast and the Kenyan-Mexican-American star looked phenomenal in an orangy-red sleeveless dress with matching jacket, and green accessories to contrast and make it pop.

Robert Downey Jr. is set to return to the MCU

We all know his turn as Iron Man, but now Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel universe. During Comic Con, Marvel Studios producer and president Kevin Feige had a few reveals, all climaxing to one huge reveal at the end.

According to their press notes, this is how it went:

“Just when the audience thought the show was over, Feige told them he had an Avengers update to share: Anthony and Joe Russo, renowned directors of four of the most successful Marvel movies and the studio’s highest-grossing directors with over $6 billion in global earnings, are set to return to Marvel Studios to helm Avengers: Secret Wars in May 2027 and Avengers: Doomsday in May 2026.

“The reveal of Avengers: Doomsday left one major question: who would play Doctor Doom? 

“The directors pointed out that Doctor Doom is one of the most complex characters in the Marvel Universe, and needed a truly great actor to bring him to life. As Feige and the Russos prepared to close out the presentation, robed figures dressed in Doctor Doom masks took the stage and then parted to reveal Robert Downey Jr. who is set to return to the MCU. Hall H erupted, chanting “RDJ!”

RDJ is back.

It’s like a little prayer…

Last but definitely not least, it’s the turn of Deadpool & Wolverine, currently in theaters and breaking all kinds of box office records. The film stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, along with a dozen cameos and a soundtrack that is the stuff dreams are made of.

The showcase inside Comic Con kicked off with a celebration of the film. A full choral performance of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” which is featured in key parts of the film, and welcomed the excited crowd with dancing Deadpool variants. It ended when Feige looked for Peterpool amongst the variants, calling Rob Delaney, who stars in the film as Peter, to the stage. Delaney joined Feige as the showcase’s MC, mentioning a surprise Deadpool & Wolverine screening for con-goers, and the massive drone and fireworks show over San Diego’s Petco Park that followed. Deadpool & Wolverine has already broken box office records for an R-rated theatrical release, and the film’s opening officially pushed the MCU over the $30 billion box-office mark with 34 movies. 

When the song comes on in the film, and even listening to it again in this live performance, gave me goosebumps. Along with the ending song, which you’ll have to sit through the credits to enjoy.

Header image courtesy of Walt Disney Studios, used with permission.