WonderCon 2014 wrapped at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, unofficially kicking off convention season—leading up to Comic-Con in San Diego, the fandom Super Bowl—for consumers and creators of comic books, science fiction and fantasy TV shows and movies, video games and the multi-billion-dollar industry that has sprung up around it: yes, what used to be called “geek chic” and dismissed as too narrowly focused to appeal to a broad audience is officially mainstream. 
This year’s WonderCon included a celebration of the 75th anniversary of Batman, led by Kevin Smith; a “Whedonversity” panel that honored the work of Joss Whedon, from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Serenity” as well as a small film you may have heard about called “Marvel’s The Avengers”; and a discourse from filmmaker Luc Besson on female heroes onscreen, which centered on “Lucy,” his forthcoming action-adventure flick toplined by Scarlett Johansson.
Studios behind the summer’s would-be blockbusters had plenty of time to strut their stuff before ardent fans and the media who follow their every move. “X-Men: Days of Future Past” is a mega-budget continuation of the hit superhero franchise that mashes up the casts of the “X-Men” series as well as “X-Men First Class.” Director Bryan Singer had been tapped to appear on a panel touting the film, but he canceled in the wake of the sex abuse lawsuit filed against him last week. Writer and producer Simon Kinberg pinch-hit for Singer, but didn’t address the allegations. 
Actor Bill Paxton stirred up excitement when he appeared to talk up his role in “Edge of Tomorrow,” a sci-fi action-thriller starring Tom Cruise; he also said he would drop everything if James Cameron writes a role for him in the “Avatar” sequels. Paxton, you’ll recall, is a Cameron repertory company player with roles in “Titanic,” “Aliens” and “True Lies,” among others.
And that’s not all; Godzilla left a huge imprint on WonderCon attendees thanks to the apparent revelation—spoiler alert!—that Godzilla will fight a revamped version of Mothra. Director Gareth Edwards previewed footage featuring the creatures that has not yet appeared in any pre-release marketing and fans understandably went berserk for it.
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CLICK HERE for the WonderCon website.
