HBO Max’s plans for the 2026 San Diego Comic-Con include activations, a special screening, and panels with the casts of two much-anticipated series. The streamer’s bringing Lanterns, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, and House of the Dragon to SDCC, running July 23 through July 26 in downtown San Diego.
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe‘s creators Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady, along with series stars Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, John Ross Bowie, and Brian Posehn, will participate in a panel on Friday, July 23 at 2:15pm in Hall H. Lanterns is expected to bring Kyle Chandler (Hal Jordan), Aaron Pierre (John Stewart), Garret Dillahunt (William Macon), Poorna Jagannathan (Zoe), and co-creators Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King to a panel scheduled for Hall H at 1:30pm on Friday, July 24.
House of the Dragon season three, episode six will screen on Saturday, July 25 at 10am in room 6DE. The advance screening will feature an intro by co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal.
STUART FAILS TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE SDCC PLANS:
Beginning Thursday, July 23 and open through Sunday, July 26, HBO Max will debut an immersive fan experience inspired by STUART FAILS TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE, inviting fans to step inside the series’ expanding multiverse. The activation brings Stuart’s “The Comic Center of Pasadena” to life, transforming the familiar comic shop from THE BIG BANG THEORY universe into a portal-hopping journey through multiple worlds tied to the show.
Designed as an interactive, story-driven experience, guests will move through a series of in-world touchpoints – beginning with a portal walkthrough and culminating in a reveal that challenges fans to discover their hero archetypes, with each path connected to a character from the series. Along the way, fans will encounter interactive moments, photo ops with a replica machine from the show, plus exclusive merch and a personalized collectible takeaway
STUART FAILS TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE | Sparks Gallery – 530 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA
• Thursday, July 23: 11:00am – 7:00pm
• Friday, July 24: 11:00am – 7:00pm
• Saturday, July 25: 11:00am – 7:00pm
• Sunday, July 26: 11:00am – 3:00pm
On Thursday, July 23, HBO Max will host the STUART FAILS TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE panel at the San Diego Convention Center in Hall H from 2:15pm – 3:15pm. The event will feature an exclusive advance screening of the highly anticipated Max Original spinoff of THE BIG BANG THEORY, followed by a must-see panel packed with surprises and featuring creators Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady, plus stars Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, John Ross Bowie, and Brian Posehn. Moderated by Felicia Day.
Earlier in the day, the cast and creators will hit DC’s booth (#4544) for a signing session from 12:30pm – 1:00pm.
LANTERNS SDCC PLANS:
From Thursday, July 23 through Saturday, July 25, HBO Max will invite fans to prove their fearlessness at the “Lanterns Training Headquarters” experience. Inspired by the setting of Rushville, Nebraska, the activation unfolds as a guided training journey where fans will receive a briefing from the Guardians and will be evaluated through a series of interactive challenges designed to reveal if they have what it takes to wear the ring.
Along the way, guests will move through hands-on experiences, including target practice, trust-based challenges, maze navigation, and escape room-style mystery scenarios set within in-world environments like a Sheriff’s office and dive bar. The experience culminates for trainees with a custom Green Lantern ring to take home, an opportunity to simulate using a Green Lantern ring on a Snapchat powered interactive mirror and the opportunity to purchase exclusive LANTERNS merch from Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products.
Sign-ups for the “Lanterns Training Headquarters” activation will open on Monday, July 13 at 9:00am PT at hbomax.com/lanternstraininghq. Reservations are limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. All guests must be 18 or older to attend. Follow @greenlantern on social media for more information and sign-up details.
HBO Max will also partner with local businesses in the Gaslamp district for surprise swag giveaways in addition to a LANTERNS Recharge Station for fans to cool off and charge their phones using Lantern Batteries.
LANTERNS Training Headquarters | Venue 808 – 808 J St, San Diego, CA
• Thursday, July 23: 9:00am – 6:00pm
• Friday, July 24: 11:00am – 9:00pm
• Saturday, July 25: 11:00am – 9:00pm
On Friday, July 24, HBO Max will host the LANTERNS panel at the San Diego Convention Center in Hall H from 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm. Step into the world of the Green Lantern Corps as Kyle Chandler (Hal Jordan) and Aaron Pierre (John Stewart) unite with Garret Dillahunt (William Macon), Poorna Jagannathan (Zoe), and visionary co-creators Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King. Prepare for an epic deep dive into the highly anticipated new series with an exclusive first look with never-before-seen clips and behind-the-scenes insights.
HOUSE OF THE DRAGON S3 PLANS:
HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 3 Fan Screening | San Diego Convention Center, Room 6DE
On Saturday, July 25 from 10:00-11:15 p.m. in San Diego Convention Center Hall Room 6DE, HBO Max will host a special advance fan screening of Season 3, Episode 6, featuring an introduction from co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal.
