San Diego Comic-Con 2026 kicked off this week not with the usual superhero saturation, but with a palpable sense of reinvention. As 135,000 fans descended on the convention center, the buzz wasn't just about the next sequel—it was about the creators behind them, signaling a potential shift in Hollywood's IP-driven playbook.

The Players

• Brad Bird: The Incredibles director revealed his long-gestating 1906 San Francisco earthquake project is evolving into an...