SAN DIEGO — As Hollywood continues to grapple with the impact of the writers strike and with the actors strike, the standoff is creating new problems for San Diego Comic-Con.
Several of Hollywood's biggest companies have now decided to skip panels in Hall H, which is typically the biggest attraction and the longest wait time of the convention.
In years past, Hall H panelists would discuss current and upcoming projects as well as promote future ones. This year is a little different.
Disney, Marvel, Lucas Films, HBO, Sony, Netflix, DC Studios, and Universal have announced they will be pulling out from Hall H presentations, the Hollywood Reporter said on July 8.
In a statement to CBS 8, a spokesperson for Comic-Con says in part,
"With regard to the strike and its possible effects on Comic-Con, we tend to refrain from speculation or forecasting. Our hope is for a speedy resolution.”
While the status of some things at Comic-Con are still up in the air, there is still plenty to be excited about at the Comic-Con and the Comic-Con museum.
"We continue to evolve, not only so Comic-Con fans can enjoy, but everyone can enjoy," said Rita Vandergaw, Executive Director of Comic-Con Museum.
"I still think the crowds are going to be there," said Kristin Juan-Gascon, who works at Southern California Comics in Kearny Mesa.
She said that she thinks the strike, and the lack of big-name Hollywood panels normally held upstairs, could potentially shift the convention's foot traffic down to the exhibit hall.
"Usually on Sunday when the halls close on top, that's when we see the flood of people coming down, and that might be like our normal Comic-Con week," she told CBS 8.
Caitlin Garcia has been going to Comic-Con since 2007, before Hollywood became such an integral part of the 'Con' experience.
"But it was a really fun Con before they were there," she said, "so I think it'll be fun still, without it. It'll just be a different experience for a lot of people... maybe not what they're expecting."
While a considerable number of Comic-Con attendees are there for the higher-profile panels and star sightings, Matt Joaquin of Southern California Comics pointed out that many others are not.
"A lot of the people who buy from us, they're not there for the actors, or for Hollywood," he told CBS 8. "They're hard-core collectors."
This means that this upcoming Comic-Con could feel more 'old-school,' going back to its original comic book roots.
"They'll find other stuff to do for sure," Garcia said. "There's so much to look at at the Convention Center!"
"Comic-Con is already so big and there's so much to do beyond all the actors in Hollywood," Joaquin added. "I don't see it really deterring too many people."
WATCH RELATED: Most major studios pull out of San Diego Comic-Con panels (July 2023).