San Diego Comic-Con Málaga announces Arnold Schwarzenegger as star guest

San Diego Comic-Con is ready to take over Malaga, like a siege in which the final battle is about to begin. Gandalf on the Pelennor Fields, the Starks facing the Long Night. Madrid has been the setting this Thursday for the launch of the latest details of the big event for fans of comics, video games, cinema and science fiction series.

It was in the Spanish capital that the name of the guest of honour for this first edition was revealed: Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yes, Terminator and Conan the Barbarian. A legend of Hollywood action cinema and an icon of popular culture, the brightest star in the programme has accepted the invitation to attend the convention, which will be held at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga from 25 to 28 September this year.

The announcement was made during a press conference held at the BBVA headquarters in Madrid, which was also confirmed as the financial sponsor of San Diego Comic-Con Málaga. Schwarzenegger is a living legend in the world of cinema, having starred in films that fans adore. From bodybuilder to Hollywood icon and, let's not forget, governor of California, Schwarzenegger has marked generations with his career.

His portfolio aligns with the nature of Comic-Con through science fiction productions such as Predator and Total Recall. Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most recognised and influential figures in global popular culture and, without a doubt, the big name for this first Comic-Con event.

In addition to confirmed guests such as president and creative director of DC Comics Jim Lee, Lost and Daredevil producer and screenwriter Jeph Loeb and star illustrator for Marvel Peach Momoko, new names from the world of comics have been announced. C.B. Cebulski - editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics since 2017 - is also coming to Malaga. Disney has confirmed its presence at San Diego Comic-Con Málaga with two of its most talked-about releases - Tron: Ares and Predator: Badlands, whose presentations promise to be spectacular. Star Wars fans will not be left out, as Lucasfilm presents the third season of Star Wars Visions - its acclaimed animated anthology, which expands the creative boundaries of the universe created by George Lucas.

All these series join the two titles that recently opened the list of fantasy series. First was The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - the third season of the franchise that brings big stars such as Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride to Malaga. Then there was Talamasca: The Secret Order, based on the vampire universe of Anne Rice's best-selling novels; Netflix's One Piece with star Taz Skyler; and Revival, which the Syfy channel is presenting exclusively before its premiere on 6 October.

Comic-Con in numbers

San Diego Comic-Con Málaga has names and numbers. The event aims to become an 'experiential theme park' that will welcome more than 100,000 fans from over 20 different countries over four days. This is the first event to occupy the entire interior of the fair and congress centre of Malaga.

On top of that, it is necessary to add 22,000 square metres of outdoor space, to accommodate more attractions, food options and a stage.

A total of 80,000 square metres, including the main stage of San Diego Comic-Con Málaga, with a capacity for more than 3,000 people, plus three other halls with capacities for 900, 600 and 200 people. 'Ludic Plaza', with more than 34 hours of programming and a total capacity of 1,200 people over the four days, will offer fans the opportunity to socialise, have fun and share their passion for board games.

According to the organisers, if the San Diego Comic-Con Málaga venue is large, what will happen there is even bigger: 300 hours of unique, unrepeated content, covering the best of comics, cinema, animation, literature, board games, gaming, etc. The programme offers each attendee more than 15 options to choose from and personalise the Comic-Con Málaga experience.

The extensive agenda can be found on the website sandiegocomiconmalaga.com. The organisers have announced that, in order to improve the access experience and reduce waiting times, visitors will be able to use the registration ID with which they purchased their ticket to reserve a place for the various activities with limited capacity. This reservation system will be launched on the website on 15 September. In the coming weeks, more details about the content, new guest confirmations and information on access to presentations and fan zones will be revealed.