San Siego Comic-Con Stars: Taylor Lautner, Tom Hardy to Appear

With San Diego Comic-Con just a little over two weeks away, speculation about movie previews and celebrity panels is taking the Internet by storm. The 42nd annual four-day comic convention opens on July 21, but the official schedule is not released until 7-10 days before the event. And with Preview Night only a day earlier on July 20, Comic Con fanatics are left to do some heavy guesswork as to what will make this year the best yet.

Lately, the talk has been that some major studios -- Disney, DreamWorks, and Warner Bros. -- will not have any part in what is now one of the largest comic conventions in the world. But these rumors, sparked by a recent New York Times article, does not change the minds of those convinced that it's all hand-wringing and drama, as one annoyed writer put it.

Some speculative schedules include the studios, with a few predicting that DreamWorks may still participate with a screening or special inside look into the upcoming movie Friday Night.

Marvel Studios, responsible for Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Spider-Man, will be releasing Captain America: The First Avenger on day two of the Con, leaving many to hope that there will be a special screening or panel. While the prospect of a panel has been largely denied, it is almost certain that the film's star, Chris Evans, will do some sort of military salute with soldiers stationed in San Diego.

Lionsgate is also sure to have a presence, confirming the appearance of teenage heartthrob Taylor Lautner, who will be promoting his new movie Abduction. And their new action movie Conan the Barbarian will bring starring celebrities Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, and Stephen Lang. The upcoming Warrior will be promoted by Tom Hardy, who will be starring in the third Batman movie, Dark Knight Rises.

But it's really television that will be taking center stage at this year's Con. Dr. Who, the popular British sci-fi show, will be taking over Hall H, the 6,000-seat auditorium typically reserved for big movie screenings. The stars of television series Game of Thrones and Torchwood will be making appearances, and the cast of Torchwood may be featured in a panel.

Disney Channel and Disney XD will also have a significant presence at the convention, with a Perry the Platy-bus On Tour making a stop at the San Diego Convention Center and Ashley Tisdale, the voice of Phineas and Ferb's Candace, will appear alongside the loveable platypus.

20^th Century Fox is getting in on the action, and will be hosting panels with casts from Bones, Glee, and The Simpsons. Their new sci-fi drama Terra Nova, produced by Steven Spielberg, has rumors flying about a surprise appearance by the popular movie director.

As of yet, little is certain in regard to the schedule, but enough has been leaked, announced, rumored, and assumed to start the hype that is the pre-Comic Con adventure.