Comic-Con kicked off in San Diego on Thursday, and in a sign Hollywood may be moving beyond Peak IP, some of this year’s buzziest panels aren’t for superheroes or cute droids, but for visionary creators.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay,” the Katie Dippold horror-comedy that just collected 19 Emmy nominations and proved that 2026 audiences like their TV a little weird, will mark the streamer’s debut in the San Diego Convention Center’s cavernous, high-stakes venue, Hall H, on a prime Saturday afternoon slot.Other projects getting a big room treatment include: Netflix’s animated neo-noir sci-fi film, “Ray Gunn” from Brad Bird; Neon’s sci-fi action thriller “Hope” from South Korean director Na Hong-jin; and A24’s thriller “Onslaught,” from Adam Wingard.Matthew Rhys in "Widow’s Bay," now streaming on Apple TV.Robert Clark / AppleThose of us old enough to have been sitting in Hall H nearly 20 years ago when Jon Favreau unveiled footage from the first “Iron Man” movie remember the feeling of a culture quake beginning as the era of comic book movie dominance took hold in Hollywood and studios raced to shore up their supplies of superhero-driven intellectual property.IP still matters, of course, with franchises remaining some of the biggest audience draws.This year’s blockbuster hits include video game adaptation “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and the fifth installment of the 30-year-old animated “Toy Story” franchise.
Marvel also has two heavy hitters on deck: “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” opening next week, and “Avengers: Doomsday,” due in December.But recognizable properties are not the reliable earners they once were, as evidenced by the underwhelming performance of recent movies such as “Star Wars: the Mandalorian and Grogu,” “Supergirl” and “Masters of the Universe.”And films driven by the visions of their dire...