Game of Thrones Showrunners Back Out of Comic-Con Panel

This Friday, several cast members from Game of Thrones will gather in Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center for a star-studded sendoff to the (mostly) beloved fantasy series. Series creators and showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were also scheduled to appear as well. Unfortunately, it sounds like they’ve made other plans. Variety is reporting that Benioff and Weiss will no longer be at this weekend’s Comic-Con extravaganza.

News of the pair’s departure was confirmed by a tweet from the official Game of Thrones Twitter account. As it turns out, Benioff and Weiss aren’t the only ones skipping out on the event. Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont), Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei), and director Miguel Sapochnik were also slated to join Friday’s panel. However, they won’t be attending either, and HBO is apparently blaming “production and schedule conflicts” for the shakeup. We’re guessing this also means that Glen won’t show up during the DC Universe panel to plug his upcoming role as Bruce Wayne on the second season of Titans.

The revamped lineup now includes Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), Raleigh Ritchie (Grey Worm), Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark), John Bradley (Samwell Tarly), Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), and Conleth Hill (Lord Varys). You can check out the announcement below.

Of course, this news is sure to provoke the ire of attendees still reeling from Game of Thrones’ series finale. Benioff and Weiss have done plenty of interviews over the last three months to justify the show’s polarizing conclusion. Regardless, Variety notes that Comic-Con would have been their first public appearance since the episode aired in April. Taking questions from reporters is one thing, but fending off thousands of fans is something else entirely.

Why do you think Benioff and Weiss decided to skip the Game of Thrones panel? Give us your thoughts in the comment section below!

Recommended Reading – A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume One