Comic-Con 2014: The big takeaway

Marvel teased new footage from Joss Whedon’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, along with an appearance by the cast, which included Robert Downey Jr. tossing roses to the crowd while the rest of the group came out dancing to Michael Jackson’s Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough. Although the footage hasn’t made its way online yet, reviews suggest the sequel will have a much more ambitious visual style, and that Ultron will be a truly exciting villain. Watch the cast assemble below:

Warner Bros. screened the very first clip from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, as well as bringing out cast members Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot. However, none of the cast were allowed to say a word onstage, and walked out with a quick wave after less than 60 seconds. At the moment, the only available link to the footage is poor quality, and indicates that the gritty tone that didn’t do Superman any favours the first time round is here to stay. They also revealed the first look at Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, which, the internet was quick to point out, bears a striking resemblance to Xena: Warrior Princess. Anyway, she still looks pretty cool:

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With its stunning visuals, fantastic stunts and Charlize Theron generally looking like a badass with her fierce bald head and metal arm, it was the trailer for Mad Max: Fury Road that really stole the show.

Comic-Con virgins Christopher Nolan and Matthew McConaughey shocked audiences with their surprise appearance on the Paramount panel, during which they revealed a new trailer for upcoming sci-fi adventure Interstellar. Unfortunately, the trailer isn’t available online, but you can watch the full Interstellar panel below. Head to 4.40 to hear a room full of grown men and women losing their minds as McConaughey introduces (a rather overwhelmed) Nolan:

Sam Raimi, director of The Grudge and the original Evil Dead and Spider-Man trilogies, confirmed that he is currently working on a film adaptation of zombie survival video game hit The Last of Us. Game of Thrones’s Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) is in talks to play Ellie.

Middle Earth came to Comic-Con for the last time as Peter Jackson and his cast shared a sneak peak of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. The panel was moderated by Tolkien super-fan Stephen Colbert, in costume from his tiny cameo in The Desolation of Smaug. The trailer, which you can watch below, bears a distinct sense of finality, and is sure to be an emotional event for those who have been following the Lord of the Rings series since the first film in 2001.

Despite his previous claim that he had halted work on The Hateful Eight following script leak drama, Quentin Tarantino announced (during a panel for a Django Unchained-Zorro crossover comic book) that he would be moving forward with the project. When asked by a fan if he would ever make a movie that wasn’t rated R, Tarantino yelled, “Fuck no!”.

Benedict Cumberbatch flirted with the entire audience during his Penguins of Madagascar panel, and made women scream with lascivious jokes about his shoe size.

And finally, a new spot for the Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1. It’s certainly grittier than the previous teaser and Capitol Couture promo images, and spotlights Philip Seymour Hoffman and Julianne Moore rather than Katniss. Check it out:

New additions to the cast of Game of Thrones for season five were announced. The incoming acting talent includes Jonathan Pryce as High Sparrow, Alexander Siddig as Doran Martell, and Keisha Castle-Hughes as Obara Sand. Fans were also treated to a delightfully light-hearted blooper reel for season four.

Show creator Bryan Fuller announced that if Hannibal continues for several more seasons, the plot arcs will be based more directly on Thomas Harris’ book series. The show has been reliant thus far on original material with homages to the books, but should Fuller’s plan go ahead, material will be drawn from Red Dragon, Hannibal, and Hannibal Rising. Eddie Izzard will also appear once again, via flashback, in season three.

The full trailer for season five of The Walking Dead was released. The footage promises more gritty violence, suspicions and suspense, where the possibility of a cure that will “make the dead die” looms over everyone:

There was more than one Batman in town at this year’s Comic-Con. Fox released the trailer for TV series Gotham, which is set to premier in September. While it included a brief portrayal of Bruce Wayne’s tragic backstory, the real focus of the show is in fact something of a departure from the norm. The story will focus instead on the goings-on in Gotham while Bruce is still a boy. The show stars Benjamin McKenzie, best known for his portrayal of Ryan Atwood in The O.C., as detective James Gordon. Sean Pertwee, the son of Doctor Who actor Jon Pertwee, will also feature as Alfred Pennyworth:

Audiences got a first glimpse of NBC’s upcoming show Constantine. If the trailer is anything to go by, the show seems to be following in the footsteps of American Horror Story and Supernatural, as its imagery and special effects are reminiscent of both. But while Keanu Reeves played the titular character, John Constantine, in the film adaptation almost a decade ago, this time it is Welsh actor Matt Ryan who takes the lead. Whether or not the show will outperform its previous namesake remains to be seen:

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