By Matt Mueller Culture Editor Published Jul 25, 2016 at 2:56 PM

Between complaints about leaked footage and the unpredictable translation from convention hall buzz to actual box-office success, Comic-Con may no longer be the must-see movie news Mecca that it’s been in the past. But that doesn’t mean that cool things don’t still come out of San Diego this time of year. Just look at this past weekend, where we were gifted a bunch of new footage and nifty announcements to keep our eyes glued to our screens for the next few years.

Here’s some of the biggest stuff to watch for coming out of Comic-Con. 

"Justice League" looks … fun?

About a month ago, while the nation was still recovering from getting pummeled with the bag of bricks and bad choices called "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," Warner Bros. and DC invited a ton of entertainment press for a set visit on "Justice League." Everyone came away with the same take: They actually want to make a fun movie this time. There were smiles on set and everything. But come on; could they really pull this crashing piece of ill-formed scrap metal out of its death fall?

Um … apparently.

Was that … a joke? That might have even been … several jokes?! And dialogue meant to be fun?! And characters interacting and not just grimacing at one another like one spilled his soup on the other’s nice clothes?! And even Aquaman doesn't suck!?

With less than three minutes of footage, "Justice League" might have just convinced me DC could save its Titanic from sinking.

"Wonder Woman" also looks awesome

Other than yelling about the plot holes and "Martha!"-ing in the lobby after the movie, Wonder Woman was inarguably the best part of "Batman v Superman." So it’s not surprising that the first trailer for "Wonder Woman" looks pretty awesome as well.

As the first female superhero movie – complete with the first female superhero movie director, Patty Jenkins – this all looks and feels great. Gadot’s Wonder Woman is a badass, both in the costume, kicking butt slo-mo Snyder-style all over World War I – a unique superhero setting that already makes this feel intriguingly different from the rest – and also as Diana Prince getting to know Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor and working through the politics of the humans’ war.

The rest of the Amazons seem awesome too (I think that’s First Lady Underwood herself, Robin Wright, leaping through the beach air in a sweet archer’s pose) and, once again, there are a few fun lines that give hope it’ll be a fun time at the cineplex next summer.

I’ve done some deserved pummeling of DC in the past, so it’s only fair to say that, between this and "Justice League," DC had a great Comic-Con.

Oh yeah, Marvel exists, too

I suppose Marvel was at Comic-Con too – rare that DC outshines the modern blockbuster behemoth. That’s not to say Marvel didn’t have some nifty stuff to show and reveal; it’s just a lot of it was for Comic-Con eyes only, such as the first look at "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (which apparently was a lot of fun and only keeps this current iteration’s reputation as the best cinematic Spider-Man going) and the first footage from "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2," which revealed Kurt Russell as Star-Lord’s dad and, yes, more Baby Groot. Because more Baby Groot is just what this crazy, messed-up, confused world needs to come together.

You can’t watch any of that now, though – sorry. So at least enjoy this new kaleido-rific trailer for "Doctor Strange," which still looks intriguingly trippy and bizarre. 

Brie Larson was a big deal

"Room" and her resulting Oscar win may have been the world’s true introduction to Brie Larson, but Comic-Con might have been her major coming-out party. For one, after months of speculation, the actress was officially named as Captain Marvel – somehow the studio’s first standalone female superhero movie. It’s a strong pick; as "Room" proved last year – and as fans of hers knew already from "Short Term 12" and "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" – she’s a great actress to be included in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

But not only did Larson have that to reveal to the Comic-Con crowd, but she was also there to reveal the first trailer for "Kong: Skull Island." And boy, does it look … big. The eventual plan is to smash this movie’s King Kong with the 2014 Godzilla and, well, it looks like an even match. The trailer feels truly epic – not just big but grandiose and gorgeous. Plus the cast enveloped by it all – including Larson, poor poor Tom Hiddleston, John Goodman, Samuel L. Jackson and more – looks more than capable of standing their ground against the world’s most famous ape.

Take a look for yourself:

Surprise! The Blair Witch is back

Marvel and DC may be the big names at Comic-Con, but it was "The Woods" that came away with the coup of the convention. Because at the much-anticipated found footage horror movie’s premiere screening, what was once this:

And this: 

Became this:

Complete with this:

That’s right: Adam Wingard ("The Guest," "You're Next") made a secret "Blair Witch Project" sequel, sold it as something else and got to surprise the entire scare-loving nation. That’s impressive. Like the trailer reveal for "10 Cloverfield Lane" before it, pulling something like that in today’s 24/7 entertainment news world deserves mad credit – and it adds a lot of fun to the typical pipeline of movie news.

It’s fun that they pulled off the "Blair Witch" twist – well before its wide release, but I suppose that was inevitable. However, for some, knowing it’s a sequel rather than an intriguing new horror property is a bit of a bummer. Plus, it now has the expectations of the "Blair Witch" legacy – like it or not, one of the iconic names of the genre. Will it actually be any good? Can it live up to this new hype? I supposed those are the questions that hang over every Comic-Con.

The rest of the show

"Sausage Party"

Speaking of premiere screenings, "Sausage Party," Seth Rogen and company’s uber-raunchy animated comedy about foods being tortured and murdered by us human overlords for sustenance (hilarious!) finally nabbed its first room of eyeballs. And the buzz is … well, read for yourself:

As dumb and stoned out of their minds as Rogen’s movies may be, there always is something thoughtful to be found wafting amongst the weed smoke. And it seems "Sausage Party" might further prove that point – in between murdering baby carrots and skinning potatoes for our amusement. Here's a new trailer to definitely not watch at work (but really – don't do it). 

"King Arthur: Legend of the Sword"

Like Tarzan before him, King Arthur is an old character brought back into the spotlight for the reason of, well, it was around. That Guy Ritchie is wringing the character through his usual "street gangs of brawny British ruffians" Mad Libs sheet – plus whatever the hell else is going on in this first trailer – does not make it any more enticing. There’s always one big movie that struggles through Comic-Con; congrats, "King Arthur." You are it for 2016.

"The LEGO Batman Movie"

This may be the greatest Batman movie ever made. Scratch that: This may be the greatest movie – period – ever made. Try harder, Orson Welles.

Meanwhile, on TV...

Some of the biggest news and footage out of Comic-Con actually came from the small screen. For instance, we got our first really-cool looks at Netflix’s upcoming "Luke Cage," "Iron Fist" and "The Defenders."

A panel for "Game of Thrones" didn’t have anything new to show, but it did have Sophie Turner making the cast do vodka shots, so that’s something. There's a "Sherlock" season four to help if "Doctor Strange" doesn't sate your Benedict Cumber-cravings.

Plus, "The Walking Dead" reminded everyone about that awful cliffhanger with a new trailer. Man, there’s no way that’s not going to be underwhelming, is there?

Bummer. 

Matt Mueller Culture Editor

As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.

When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.