A Roundup Of Television And Streaming News From San Diego Comic-Con

A scene from the “Family Guy: Halloween special, which features Kieran Culkin as The Devil.

Hulu, 2026

There was a time when the San Diego Comic-Con felt as if it were the center of the pop culture universe. Every studio and network presented panels for their ongoing and future productions, and there was so much news being released that entertainment industry web sites had crews of up to a dozen covering the multiple events and celebrity appearances.

In 2026, Comic-Con still has the buzz, but there is a lot less news being made. Aside from the Marvel Universe projects, most of the major studios and franchises have opted to skip things entirely.

And while the television side is still generating a lot of interest from the industry and fans, the weekend is a lot less special that it was back when The CW’s superhero shows dominated the conversation from fans.

Still, there was plenty of news made over the three days of Comic-Con, even if most of it was along the lines of trailer releases and premiere date announcements.

Here is a round-up of television industry highlights from this year’s Comic-Con, in no particular order:

The Return Of Apple TV’s Dark Matter

In San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H, the stars and creative team behind Apple TV’s sci-fi thriller Dark Matter unveiled the trailer for the upcoming 10-episode second season of the show, which premieres globally on Friday, August 28th.

The series is based on the New York Times bestselling book written by Blake Crouch, who is also the showrunner of the series.

Dark Matter stars Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly.

Here is the official logline for the series:

“In season one, the series followed Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton), a physicist, professor and family man who — one night while walking home on the streets of Chicago — is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Wonder quickly turns to nightmare when he tries to return to his reality amid the mind-bending landscape of lives he could have lived. Season two picks up with the Dessens as they settle into a quiet life in a world that finally seems safe until the unimaginable forces them to run once again. As Jason’s obsession with the Box deepens, Daniela’s (Jennifer Connelly) growing paranoia pushes her to the brink, and their son Charlie (Oakes Fegley) starves for a sense of stability as their family is threatened. Elsewhere, Amanda (Alice Braga) and Ryan (Jimmi Simpson) join forces in a desperate attempt to find their way home. With Blair (Amanda Brugel) determined to stop him, Leighton (Deyo Okeniyi) relentlessly chases his grand vision of creating a perfect world.”

Hulu Announced Three Futurama Specials

At the Futurama panel, Hulu unveiled the trailer for the upcoming season of the series.

The streamer also announced that it has greenlit three extended-length Futurama specials, which are currently under production.

First up is a Christmas themed episode that will premiere in 2027. There were no other details on that special or the other two upcoming specials.

Hulu Announces Two Family Guy Specials

At the Family Guy San Diego Comic-Con panel, executive producer and showrunner Rich Appel revealed that Family Guy Halloween and Holiday specials are coming to Hulu this year. Appel was joined on the panel by Family Guy stars Alex Borstein, Arif Zahir, Jennifer Tilly and co-executive producer & supervising director Peter Shin.

Appel also shared a first look image of guest star Kieran Culkin, who joins the Halloween special as the Devil.

In the Halloween special, “Happy Hell-o-ween,” Brian and Stewie find themselves in Hell, paying for 24 seasons’ worth of bad behavior. When they manage to annoy even the Devil (played by Kieran Culkin), they end up in charge.

In the Holiday special, “The Peter Clause,” it’s Christmas in Quahog, and Peter and the guys compete to become the town’s official Santa. Peter loses, and he processes his disappointment in a not-so-mature manner.

Both specials will exclusively stream internationally on Disney+ in most markets.

Season 25 of Family Guy returns to Fox in 2027.

The Movie Matchbox The Movie Is Coming To Apple TV

I have to admit that I am a sucker for dumb movies built around a game or toy. Yes, I am the person who seen the Battleship movie at least a dozen times.

So at least based on the trailer for Matchbox The Movie that was unveiled at Comic-Con, the film has the potential of being a classic big, dumb action film. And it’s helped by the fact that it stars John Cena, the Kenneth Branaugh of dumb action films.

Along with Cena, the film also stars Jessica Biel and it will premiere Friday, October 8th on Apple TV.

Here is the official logline: “Inspired by the iconic Mattel toys, “Matchbox The Movie” is an action-packed, globetrotting adventure about a group of friends since childhood who have their lives upended when undercover CIA agent Sean (John Cena), their long-absent former leader, returns to their small town and unwittingly gets them embroiled in a frantic international pursuit to save the world.”

Apple TV Provides A First Look At Neuromancer’

Callum Turner made a surprise virtual appearance at Comic-Con to unveil the first teaser for the new Apple TV science fiction series, Neuromancer, which is based on the award-winning novel of the same name by William Gibson.

The 10-episode series stars Turner, Briana Middleton, Mark Strong, Joseph Lee, Peter Sarsgaard and Clémence Poésy, and it premieres globally on Friday, January 22nd, 2027 on Apple TV with two episodes, followed by one new episode weekly, every Friday through March 19th, 2027.

Here is the official logline: “Neuromancer follows a damaged, top-rung super-hacker named Case (Callum Turner) who is thrust into a web of digital espionage and high stakes crime with his partner Molly (Briana Middleton), a razor-girl assassin to pull a heist on a corporate dynasty with untold secrets. The ensemble cast also includes Max Irons, Dane DeHaan, Junia Rees, Jordan Kouamé, Emma Laird, Marc Menchaca, André De Shields and Isabella Pappas.”

Merry Christmas, From Bob’s Burgers

At the Bob’s Burgers San Diego Comic-Con panel, creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard announced “On the Fort Day of Christmas,” a holiday short premiering this year exclusively on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally in most markets. Bouchard was joined on the panel by stars H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, Dan Mintz and Supervising Director Bernard Derriman.

In “On the Fort Day of Christmas,” a record-breaking Christmas snowstorm means one thing to the Belcher kids — a record-breaking Christmas snow fort.

Season 17 of “Bob’s Burgers” returns to FOX in 2027, and will stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S.

New From The ‘Star Trek’ Panel

The Star Trek Universe Hall H panel celebrated Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek’s 60th anniversary and more.

The panel kicked off with a franchise 60th anniversary celebration, featuring opening remarks from Rod Roddenberry and a conversation with cast members spanning the Star Trek universe, including Michael Dorn, Robert Picardo, Dominic Keating, Cirroc Lofton, Doug Jones, Michelle Hurd, Jerry O’Connell, Christina Chong, Karim Diané, and the legendary George Takei.

Panelist and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy star Karim Diané revealed during the conversation that a new cadet will be joining the Academy. Ruaridh Aldington joins season two of Starfleet Academy as a series regular playing Keats, a young alien our cadets encounter on an away mission who possesses a mysterious backstory. “When the cadets make the risky decision to bring him back to Starfleet Academy, they realize he’s a wanted man, and his life is in danger.”

During the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds panel portion, co-showrunner and executive producer Akiva Goldsman revealed a sneak peek teaser, with the Hall H crowd being the first to see what is in store for the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise for the rest of the fourth season.

The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds panelists included Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, and Paul Wesley, alongside co-showrunners and executive producers Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers and executive producer Alex Kurtzman.

Additionally, Mantz revealed in Hall H that the second season (30 episodes, three minutes each) of the original animated YouTube-first series, Star Trek: Scouts, will debut this year on Star Trek Day (September 8th). As the first preschool extension of the Star Trek franchise, the series follows three 8-year-old friends, JR, Sprocket and Roo, as they train to become future Starfleet Explorers by going on epic, out-of-this-world missions that push them to “discover, grow and boldly go!”

Season one is available now on Nickelodeon’s Blaze and the Monster Machines YouTube channel.

Prime Video Unveils Reacher Season Four and Spin-Off Series Neagley

Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video debuted the official trailer for Reacher Season Four and a teaser for the spin-off series Neagley at San Diego Comic-Con. Reacher returns on August 12th, 2026, while the spin-off premieres on September 16th, 2026.

The upcoming fourth season of Reacher, starring Alan Ritchson, adapts Lee Child’s 13th novel, Gone Tomorrow. According to the official logline, the story follows Jack Reacher as he gets drawn into a deadly political and criminal conspiracy in New York City after a chance encounter on a subway goes wrong.

Following the season four finale of Reacher, all eight episodes of Neagley will launch globally on September 16th. The spin-off focuses on Frances Neagley, played by Maria Sten, as a Chicago-based private investigator seeking justice after a friend dies in a suspicious accident. Created by Nick Santora and Nicholas Wootton, the series features Alan Ritchson in a guest role alongside cast members Greyston Holt, Adeline Rudolph, Jasper Jones, Matthew Del Negro, and Damon Herriman.

During the Comic-Con panel, Maria Sten shared insight into the core premise of the new spin-off series.

“The reason for making the show is to answer the question, what is Neagley doing when she’s not off on Reacher’s adventures? And I think, you know, she’s in Chicago taking care of her dad, and that is sort of the world we wanted to flesh out,” said Sten.

Addressing the broader franchise, Amazon MGM Studios executives previously highlighted the show’s widespread appeal following its renewal.

“Reacher has become a phenomenon that continues to resonate with our global customers beyond our wildest expectations,” said the Head of Television at Amazon MGM Studios.

Panelists also revealed that season five of Reacher will adapt Lee Child’s 20th novel, Make Me. Also, Lee Child and author Yasmin Angoe are writing the first Neagley novel titled Zero Margin, which is scheduled for publication in March 2027.