Taking a look back at San Diego Comic-Con 2025

Comic-Con 2025 came to an end Sunday after four days and nights of crowds, costumes and comics. 

Here’s a look back at some of the sights, sounds and observations of the past week.

George Lucas

Comic-Con is known for creating some amazing pop culture moments, but maybe none can top what happened on the final day of the event Sunday when legendary “Star Wars” creator George Lucas made his first panel appearance.

“We’ve been waiting five decades for this,” said actor and pop culture icon Queen Latifah, who moderated a panel on the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

The museum is scheduled to showcase some of the 40,000 pieces of art Lucas has collected, including never before seen comics and props and costumes. Lucas described it as a “temple to the people’s art.”

Lucas received a thunderous standing ovation from the fans packing the 6,500-seat Hall H. Several waved glowing replica lightsabers. Others shouted out their love for Lucas. The rest of the event was anticlimactic, as Lucas didn’t discuss his “Star Wars” films and there was none of the usual Hall Q&A with the fans.

Not all the action was inside

Some days the action outside the San Diego Convention Center can be as abundant as that inside, as studios look to build buzz with activations promoting new films and shows.

The most fun activation was the “Twisted Metal” site in a parking lot near the Children’s Museum. The site featured tricked-out cars from the apocalyptic Peacock show, but the highlight was a bumper car activity that gave frustrated Southern California motorists a chance to legally and safely channel their rush hour frustrations.

The most innovative activation was the Google Play site promoting the new “Fantastic Four” movie. Fans entered different sections that showcase the powers of each member of the superhero group. They could fly, thanks for a green screen set, and show off their strength by stomping on an LED floor with a video featuring different levels you had to smash through.

The most elaborate site was the FX network activation promoting its upcoming “Alien: Earth” show. Fans walked through a set featuring a crashed spaceship and containers carrying the scary “Alien” pods. A set recreating a dark and scary spaceship corridor recreated the scary scenes in the “Alien” movies.

The tastiest activation was the “King of the Hill” site promoting the show’s return. It featured various photo opportunities and games, but it also gave fans samples of sliced tri-tip in BBQ sauce and grilled Polish sausage bites.

Miscellaneous

• “Oh, I’m so tired.” –A fan climbing the steps on the pedestrian bridge heading to Petco Park.
• The Comic-Con floor is where fans go to buy comics, collectibles and other things. The most unusual item we saw were oven mitts with pop culture designs on them. But the most popular item seen all week were various versions of folding chairs that fans used to take a break while waiting on many of the lines to get into panels.
• “I love the people that come to conventions. They’re all very nice.” Comics icon Jack Kirby in an interview on a video of Comic-Con’s early years. The “CCI Lost Videos” panel was a nostalgic trip through the Con’s history that delighted fans.

Finally, let’s hear from fan-favorite filmmaker Kevin Smith, who entertained a crowded Hall H with stories, jokes and observations. He has been attending Comic-Con since 1995 and has become a convention regular.

“This is my happy place,” said Smith.