SAN DIEGO — After two years of scaled-back conventions, Comic-Con is back with hordes of cosplayers, fans and stars at the San Diego Convention Center.
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Guests dress in cosplay at 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds A cosplayer attends 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds A cosplayer in character as the Joker attends 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Cosplayers attend 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds A cosplayer attends 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Cosplayers attends 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds A cosplayer attends 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds A cosplayer in character as Spider-Man attends 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Melissa Croft speaks onstage at "Ship-It Show Live" with Tara Strong and Greg Cipes during 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego at San Diego Convention Center on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Cosplayer attends 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds A cosplayer attends 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds A cosplayer attends 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds A cosplayer attends 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Cosplayers attends 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds A cosplayer attends 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Cosplayers attend 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds A cosplayer attends 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds A cosplayer attends 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Guest dresses in cosplay at 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Guests dress in cosplay at 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego on July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Keith Foster, of San Diego, dressed as the Pumpkin Knight, attends Day 1 of Comic-Con International on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Christy Radecic/Invision/AP)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Santa Ana, Calif., residents Jake Garabedian, left, dressed as Star-Lord, and Griffin Reina, as Thor, attend Day 1 of Comic-Con International on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Christy Radecic/Invision/AP)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Renee Lanswick, dressed as Do-S from One Punch Man, attends Day 1 of Comic-Con International on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Christy Radecic/Invision/AP)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds San Diego residents Sam Youth, as Port, from left, Mike Lever as Chewy Chewbacca, and Katie Lever, as Hans Solo, characters from "Star Wars," attends day one of Comic-Con International on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Christy Radecic/Invision/AP)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Jay Acey, left, dressed as A-Train from the television series "The Boys," Faeren Adams, center, dressed as Marvel superhero Doctor Strange, and Derek Shackleton, dressed as Marvel superhero Moon Knight, walk together outside Preview Night at the 2022 Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Flynn Carter, 10, of San Diego, dressed as Boba Fett, attends Day 1 of Comic-Con International on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Christy Radecic/Invision/AP)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds New Jersey residents Cristian Tirado, as Venom Punk, from left, Jose Tirado as Eddie Rock Punk, Letticia Tirado as Queen Punk and Gabriel Tirado as Carnage Punk, attend Day 1 of Comic-Con International on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Christy Radecic/Invision/AP)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Monica Radin of San Diego, dressed as the Raven character in the animated television series "Teen Titans," walks outside Preview Night at the 2022 Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Mario Alcaraz of Los Angeles, dressed as Spider-Punk, attends day one of Comic-Con International on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Christy Radecic/Invision/AP)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Kevin Uribe of West Orange, N.J., dressed as the writer/director/actor Kevin Smith, waits for Preview Night to start at the 2022 Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Aiden Molter, left, and Monica Radin, both of San Diego, wear masks as they wait for Preview Night to start at the 2022 Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in San Diego. Radin is dressed as the Raven character in the animated television series "Teen Titans." (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Daniel Golden, dressed as Captain Kirk, shines the shoes of Paul Forest, of Toronto, dressed as Spock, characters from "Star Trek," at day one of Comic-Con International on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in San Diego. (Max Ulichney/Invision/AP)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Rebecca Eusey, of San Diego, dressed as "Lady Beetlejuice of the Carousel," poses outside Preview Night at the 2022 Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Jay Acey, right, dressed as A-Train from the television series "The Boys," mingles with Maddox Cruz, 1, of Orange, Calif., outside Preview Night at the 2022 Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds Chelsea Mullen, of San Francisco, dressed as Garangolm in the video game "Monster Hunter," poses outside Preview Night at the 2022 Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Photos: San Diego Comic-Con returns in full force with cosplay, crowds A Comic-Con attendee walks past a life-size model of the creature from the "Alien" movie franchise during Preview Night at the 2022 Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Thousands of fans swarmed San Diego on Thursday for the convention’s first day, nearly all wearing the required masks.
One of the biggest draws to San Diego’s Comic-Con are previews and panels from forthcoming films and TV shows, sometimes with actors present to talk about their work.
This year’s panels include:
- Warner Bros. and the DC Universe’s “Black Adam.”
- Amazon’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.”
- HBO Max’s “Game of Thrones” spinoff “House of the Dragon.”
- Marvel is expected to tease “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.”
- Warner Bros.’s “Shazam!: Fury of the Gods.”
According to AP, the pandemic necessitated virtual versions of Comic-Con in the summers of 2020 and 2021 and a scaled-back in-person version in November.
[ 30 photos of San Diego Comic-Con cosplayer costumes ]
Before the pandemic, Comic-Con usually had crowds larger than 130,000.