Comic-Con, one of the biggest annual festivals for comics, movies, TV shows and games, opens tonight in San Diego and super-fans are in a frenzy over the slew of trailers, panels and a drip feed of entertainment news.

The event, which runs from 20-23 July, attracts hundreds of thousands fans, many dressed as their favourite characters, with panels featuring the stars of Hollywood blockbusters and hit shows, along with sneak peek footage, special announcements and workshops.

Here's our pick of the most anticipated events taking place at SDCC this year.

Doctor Who

BBC America says departing actor Peter Capaldi will make one last Comic-Con appearance before he exits with the upcoming Christmas special. After the surprise announcement that the new Doctor will be a woman, played by Jodie Whittaker, fans and commentators are speculating about whether the new Doctor will "stop by for a chat".

Dirk Gently

Fans of the cult crime series Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency are delighted by news that the series has been renewed for a second ten-episode season, and that a Dirk Gently panel will appear at SDCC with producer/writer Max Landis, fellow showrunner Robert Cooper and stars Samuel Barnett (Dirk Gently), Elijah Wood (Todd Brotzman), Hannah Marks (Amanda Brotzman) and Fiona Dourif (Bart Curlish).

Ready Player One

Ian Hamilton on Upload reports that Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality projects are set to be a highlight of SDCC, with Steven Spielberg’s new adaptation of Ernest Cline’s popular YA novel Ready Player One tipped to have major presence. Spielberg is due to appear along with the book's author, co-screenwriter Zak Penn and the film’s stars including Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke and TJ Miller. The panel is expected to shed some light on the project that is scheduled for release in 2018 but has so far been kept tightly under wraps.

Blade Runner

Deadline Hollywood reports that Harrison Ford – "a SDCC deity if ever there was one" – will appear at SDCC to promote the long-awaited sci-fi sequel Blade Runner 2049.

Ford will be on a Blade Runner 2049 panel with Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks and Robin Wright. The film’s director, Denis Villeneuve, will also be present and there is also a planned multimedia experience including Oculus VR to take fans inside the future envisioned in the upcoming film.

Marvel

With a slate of Marvel blockbusters lined up for the coming year including Thor: Ragnarok (due out 27 October), Black Panther (9 February) and Avengers: Infinity War (27 April), fans are hoping to see a big contingent of stars from the Marvel Cinematic Universe at SDCC this year.

Polygon notes that of all the upcoming Marvel movies, "none are as anticipated as Avengers: Infinity War", because it will be "the beginning of the end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that we’ve known for the past decade".

The studio’s next step will be the beginning of the Cosmic Universe. Infinity War will bring together all of the MCU’s superheroes, including the Guardians of the Galaxy. Fans hope to catch another glimpse of the trailer, but some are also hoping to see the whole gang up on stage.

Women Rocking Hollywood

After Wonder Woman broke Hollywood records for a film helmed by a female director, attention has turned to women behind the camera. Shows such as Jessica Jones, Queen Sugar and The Leftovers have committed to include more female directors, but there's still a long way to go.

The second SDCC panel focusing on women will feature, among others, Tina Mabry (director Queen of the South and Dear White People), Rosemary Rodriguez (writer/director Jessica Jones, The Walking Dead), Victoria Mahoney (director Queen Sugar, Gypsy, American Crime), and Angela Robinson (writer/director: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, True Blood).

Comics Legends

This year, Comic-Con is celebrating the legacies of several towering figures in American comics. There will be centenary celebrations for Jack Kirby (1917-1994), co-creator of Captain America and the Marvel Universe, and Will Eisner (1917-2005), an innovative pioneer of the graphic novel best known for his A Contract with God stories. Celebrations will feature reminiscences from friends, reflections on their work and documentaries.

Another leading light and legend in his own time, Stan Lee, who lost his wife of 70 years earlier this month, will still appear at Comic-Con to greet his legions of fans.