Celebrities trek to Comic-Con

By Derrik J. Lang

AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES

Trekking to San Diego for Comic-Con is usually just another summertime destination for the likes of “The Walking Dead” mastermind Robert Kirkman. However, this year’s pop-culture bonanza will serve as a major milestone for him: the 10th anniversary of the comic series that spawned a hit TV show and undead phenomenon.

“Bigger is always better,” he said. “I know some people say, ‘Hey! It used to be this quaint little convention where you could buy back issues, but damn it, now Samuel L. Jackson is walking around, and it’s annoying.’ I think Comic-Con casts a huge spotlight on the comic industry. It only seems to get bigger, and I think that’s good for everybody.”

Over the past decade, the fan-driven event has transformed like an Autobot from a comic book celebration into a multimedia pop-culture extravaganza with presentations featuring celebrity appearances, casting announcements and never-before-seen footage from upcoming films and shows. This week’s 44th annual event, which officially kicks off Thursday and runs through Sunday, is shaping up to be no different for famous Comic-Con veterans.

Hugh Jackman is taking his fourth trip to the convention. Last year, he made a surprise appearance with the robot brawler “Real Steel.” Jackman will spend this week in San Diego hyping “The Wolverine,” the upcoming stand-alone “X-Men” spin-off that marks the actor’s sixth time playing the iconic comic character that rocketed him to stardom.

“It’s gold,” said Jackman. “I love being with the fans. I’m excited to show them some stuff at the presentation. It’s gonna be fun.”

“The World’s End” director Edgar Wright is also making a return trip to the San Diego Convention Center to promote his upcoming end-of-the-world bar-crawl adventure with stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. He first attended in 2004 for his zombie farce “Shaun of the Dead,” and surprised audiences last year by unveiling test footage for Marvel’s “Ant-Man.”

“It’s definitely nerve-racking,” said Wright. “In the case of showing the ‘Ant-Man’ footage last year, I’m glad I did it. I was the one who was questioning (Marvel studio president) Kevin Feige a little bit. I kept asking him, ‘Are you sure this is a good idea?!’ He was like, ‘Totally! They’re gonna love it.’ I had doubts and was very happily proved wrong.”

Other films expected to be bandied inside the cavernous Hall H include the big-screen adaptations of best-sellers “Ender’s Game” and “Divergent,” and reboots of “Godzilla” and “RoboCop.” It’ll also be a showcase for sophomore outings of “Captain America,” ‘’Thor,” ‘’The Amazing Spider-Man,” ‘’Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” ‘’The Hunger Games” and “How to Train Your Dragon.”

The cast and creators of several TV shows will be on hand to tease upcoming seasons, including returning fan-favorites “The Walking Dead,” ‘’Game of Thrones,” ‘’True Blood” and “Once Upon a Time,” as well as new shows like “The Vampire Diaries” spin-off “The Originals,” android buddy cop drama “Almost Human” and “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”