George Lucas will make his first-ever on-stage appearance at San Diego Comic-Con on Sunday, July 27, 2025, headlining a panel titled “Sneak Peek at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.” The historic debut comes nearly five decades after Star Wars had early public showings at Comic-Con in the late 1970s. Lucas will be joined by Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, Lucasfilm executive Doug Chiang, and moderator Queen Latifah to discuss his upcoming museum scheduled to open in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park in 2026, exploring broader implications for visual storytelling’s cultural impact.
After nearly five decades of influencing fan culture and convention attendance worldwide, George Lucas will make his first-ever on-stage appearance at San Diego Comic-Con, headlining a Hall H panel on Sunday, July 27, 2025, that focuses on his upcoming Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
The panel, titled “Sneak Peek at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art,” represents a symbolic full-circle moment for Lucas, whose Star Wars franchise had one of its first public convention showings at Comic-Con in the late 1970s with the Howard Chaykin poster. Despite Star Wars maintaining a consistent presence at conventions for nearly fifty years, Lucas himself has never made a major Comic-Con appearance until now.
Lucas will be joined by Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, Lucasfilm executive and Star Wars prequel designer Doug Chiang, with Queen Latifah serving as moderator. This diverse panel brings together perspectives from film direction, art design, and performance to examine visual storytelling‘s cultural impact and the power of illustrated stories across various media platforms.
A powerhouse panel uniting film direction, design artistry, and performance expertise to explore visual storytelling’s transformative cultural influence.
The discussion will explore narrative art from ancient times to modern interpretations, including cave drawings, hieroglyphics, and contemporary paintings. Lucas and his collaborators plan to provide behind-the-scenes insights into the museum’s development, examining curatorial choices, exhibition themes, and featured artwork that will define the institution’s mission.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art’s mission aligns directly with Comic-Con’s dedication to celebrating all forms of narrative art, making this collaboration particularly significant for both organizations. The museum is scheduled to open in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park in 2026, establishing a permanent home for exploring storytelling across visual media. The museum campus will feature comprehensive facilities including galleries, theaters, library, restaurant, café, and retail store.
Panel content will address how narrative art reflects and shapes cultural and societal themes while exploring the museum’s role in advancing appreciation for visual storytelling.
Comic-Con officials and fans have expressed extraordinary excitement for Lucas’ debut appearance, viewing the event as a landmark cultural moment for fandom communities. The panel is expected to inspire broader discussions about storytelling evolution across media while highlighting Lucas’ lifelong contributions to world-building and visual narrative development.
This historic appearance connects past fan culture roots with the future of narrative art, demonstrating Lucas’ ongoing influence in shaping conventions and fan engagement on a global scale.
