The San Diego Comic-Con’s return to Málaga for its second edition in the city concluded on Sunday October 4, packed with a line-up of artists, exhibitions, signings, panels and thousands of cosplayers showing off their home-made costume designs. 

A bigger second edition for Málaga’s Comic-Con

Held at FYCMA, the city’s Trade Fairs and Congress Centre, the convention combined panels and autograph sessions with exhibitions, gaming activities and stalls packed with collectibles.

The convention has been running for 56 years in San Diego in the USA, but last year chose Málaga to be its first ever edition outside of the USA, bringing the brand across the pond and closer to the comic book fandom from all over Europe.

This year’s second edition also faced the challenge of consolidating the event as a staple in the Andalucian city for years to come, especially after 2025’s was met with mixed reviews due to organisational issues and shaky planning. This year, however, much has changed, and attendees have expressed large improvements to the way things are being run. “I’d give it an eight out of ten this year. The queuing systems are better and it has more stalls and exhibitions. It’s better organised than last year”, said one attendee. 

The Boys help launch Málaga’s Comic-Con

San Diego Comic-Con Málaga opened its second edition with hundreds of fans queuing from the early hours of Thursday, October 1, many in costume. The Boys stars Karl Urban and Aya Cash drew a large audience for a lively conversation about their characters, while filmmaker Kevin Smith reunited with Jason Lee and Jason Mewes to share stories behind films including Clerks and Mallrats. Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino also received the Málaga Film Festival’s Biznaga de Oro award.

Comics took centre stage with artists John Romita Jr., Jorge Jiménez, Pepe Larraz and Dan Mora discussing the enduring appeal of superheroes. Spanish television fans enjoyed a nostalgic Los Serrano cast reunion, while autograph sessions, live drawing, cosplay demonstrations and gaming activities filled the exhibition spaces.

One Piece stars and anime legends took Friday’s spotlight

Friday, October 2 brought a packed audience to Hall M for One Piece stars Iñaki Godoy, who plays Luffy, and Taz Skylar, the actor behind Sanji. Joined by Peter Gadiot, who plays Shanks, and director Lukas Ettlin, they discussed the pressure of adapting a story with millions of devoted fans while preserving its characters’ spirit. The audience welcomed them with a standing ovation.

There were lighter moments too. Godoy sparked a playful food debate by choosing patatas bravas over paella, while the cast recalled filming snowy scenes in South Africa’s summer heat, with artificial snow getting into their eyes and noses.

The spotlight also fell on the voices behind the screen. A gathering of Spanish dubbing actors who voice Marvel’s superheroes celebrated their contribution to the films, with performers recreating memorable scenes live for the audience.

Meanwhile, Yoichi Takahashi, creator of Captain Tsubasa, known in Spain as Campeones or Oliver y Benji, demonstrated his drawing technique in Studio M. Taking requests from fans, he recreated familiar characters in less than five minutes each and added a local touch by writing “Málaga” on goalkeeper Benji’s cap.

Cowboy Bebop director Shin’ichirō Watanabe joined character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto to revisit the anime’s creation. Kawamoto revealed that his original character briefs included blood groups and star signs, while Watanabe discussed his vision of a multicultural future and expressed opposition to remaking the series.

Disney’s Saturday takeover brought familiar faces to the stage

For me, the weekend’s biggest event came on Saturday afternoon, when Disney took over Hall M for a two-hour showcase of new trailers, exclusive previews and special guests.

The event opened with a look at Disney’s upcoming animated films. First came Hexed, the story of a teenage girl who discovers magical powers and finds herself transported to another world, all while navigating a complicated relationship with her mother. A preview of Ice Age: Boiling Point, the latest instalment in the prehistoric franchise, followed.

Pixar’s Gatto introduced a streetwise black cat trying to find his way through Venice while caught up with the local “cat mafia”. The footage suggested plenty of light comedy and a protagonist who is easy to root for as he tries to get “out of the game”.

The afternoon’s first major film panel brought Whalefall stars Austin Abrams and Josh Brolin to the stage alongside director Brian Duffield. Adapted from Daniel Kraus’s novel, the survival thriller follows a scuba diver swallowed by a sperm whale, with just an hour of oxygen left to escape. Kraus’s inspiration came from a viral 2020 video of two kayakers briefly caught in a humpback whale’s mouth.

The clip shown in the hall was genuinely uncomfortable viewing: the audience fell silent as the tension built, and I found myself willing the scene to end. If that sort of anxiety-inducing cinema is your thing, you could be in for a treat.

Marvel takes over with surprise Avengers guests

Then came the big guns. Moderator Ali Plumb welcomed British actor Paul Bettany to the stage to introduce VisionQuest, the new Marvel series for Disney+ that follows on from WandaVision and Agatha All Along. It sees Vision grapple with identity, purpose and fatherhood, alongside the rather less relatable problem of fighting deadly robots. Fans were treated to the opening 22 minutes of the first episode, which went down particularly well in the hall.

But Málaga still had one final surprise waiting. After the VisionQuest segment, the hall went dark and the lights turned green. Whatever was coming next, it had Avengers: Doomsday written all over it. Plumb welcomed Anthony Mackie, David Harbour and Winston Duke onto the stage, one by one, to discuss the film ahead of its Spanish cinema release on December 17.

The actors certainly knew how to build anticipation. Harbour promised: “The ending is going to blow everyone’s minds”, while Duke paid tribute to Sir Ian McKellen, recalling how his performance left even his fellow actors transfixed: “everyone else sort of forgot that they had to keep acting, we were all just looking at him”.

The showcase ended with two short clips from the film and a trailer to top things off, plenty to keep Marvel fans talking long after they left Hall M.

Frodo, Sam and a thunderstorm brought the weekend to a close

Sunday’s closing programme brought The Lord of the Rings stars Elijah Wood and Sean Astin together in Hall M for a nostalgic conversation about playing Frodo and Sam. They shared filming memories, joked about Frodo’s frequent falls and reflected on the comfort the trilogy continues to offer fans. Fellow cast member John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli, also visited artist Rubén Belloso’s exhibition and signed a painting featuring his character.

The Starship Troopers reunion gathered Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Dina Meyer, Michael Ironside and Jake Busey to revisit the cult film nearly three decades later, with Van Dien taking the microphone into the audience for fans’ questions. Elsewhere, Captain Tsubasa creator Yoichi Takahashi discussed his football manga, while Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn and Fantastic Beasts star Dan Fogler reflected on their best-known roles.

There was one less welcome surprise: a brief afternoon thunderstorm sent visitors scrambling for shelter in the exhibitor halls. However, the real superheroes came to light in that moment, as those who had been queuing outside for certain activities did not move a muscle and stood their ground to not lose their spots during the downpour. Alongside the star reunions and final panels, it made for a memorable end to the four-day convention. And there was already reason to look ahead: organisers have hinted that Star Wars could play a major part in next year’s edition as the franchise celebrates its 50th anniversary.