'Spaceballs: The New One' Parodies Marvel's Hall H Panels at Comic-Con

Amazon MGM Studios presented Spaceballs: The New One in San Diego Comic-Con's Hall H on Friday, July 24, 2026, with a full-scale parody of Marvel Studios' signature phase timeline reveals. The sequel to the 1987 sci-fi spoof marks the return of Rick Moranis to a major film role for the first time in over two decades.

According to Deadline, the studio used the venue's massive wrap-around screens to display a hysterical send-up of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's presentation style. The gag outlined a fictional 11-phase Spaceballs cinematic universe, complete with fake titles spanning decades. It was a direct jab at the sprawling, meticulously planned franchise slates that have become a staple of the annual convention.

What Happened at the Panel?

The Hall H event was packed with surprises and callbacks to the original film. Key moments from the panel included:

• Rick Moranis's Return: The actor, who played Dark Helmet in the original, was discovered in the audience wearing the character's helmet, a callback to the original film's "comb the desert" joke. He received a thunderous standing ovation and chants of his name.
• Mel Brooks's Video Message: The 100-year-old creator of Spaceballs appeared via a recorded video, joking he was on the convention floor trying to buy a rare Charizard card. He returns to voice the digital character of Yogurt.
• The Cast Reunion: Stars from the original film, including Bill Pullman (Lone Starr) and Daphne Zuniga (Queen Vespa), are returning. Lewis Pullman plays their on-screen son, Starburst.
• A New Clip: The panel showed an extended clip from the film, featuring new characters played by Keke Palmer and Josh Gad, and culminating in a gag with an Avatar Na'vi character.

Who Is Making the Sequel?

The creative team includes Josh Gad, who also stars and produces, alongside writers Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit. The project originated from Gad, who was inspired to pitch a sequel to Mel Brooks after a planned Honey, I Shrunk the Kids follow-up with Moranis fell apart.

Gad described the new film as a love letter to the late John Candy, who played Barf in the original. While Gad is not playing Barf, he is playing another character of the same alien species, a Mog. The film will also acknowledge other original cast members who have passed away, including Joan Rivers and Dom DeLuise.

Why Make a Sequel Now?

The panelists framed the sequel as a timely commentary on the current state of film and fandom. "The industry it was parodying is a very different industry than this one 40 years later," Gad said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He explained the team thematically explored the concept of nostalgia and why audiences are drawn to sequels and legacy stories.

Moderator Kevin Smith pointed out that when the first film was made, it only had the original Star Wars trilogy to spoof. "Now there's a never-ending fount," he said. The sequel aims to parody the modern landscape of endless franchises, reboots, and cinematic universes.

When Does It Come Out?

Spaceballs: The New One is scheduled for a theatrical release on April 23, 2027. No trailer was released publicly from the Comic-Con panel, though a clip was shown exclusively to the Hall H audience. The footage was a slightly re-edited version of material first shown at CinemaCon in April, with new gags added, including Dark Helmet proclaiming, "Somehow I've returned... somehow!"

Lewis Pullman's 'Beef' with Barf

Lewis Pullman, who plays Starburst, shared a personal grievance with the original film during the panel. He cited his least favorite scene as the moment Barf knocks his on-screen father's cowboy hat off into space. "I remember being too young to understand that the hat didn’t just fall into the abyss of space," Pullman said. "This whole movie’s about him trying to get his damn hat back."

He added, "For a while I had real beef with Barf." The new film's premise, verified by TMDB, confirms this plot point, centering on Lone Starr's quest to retrieve his lost hat as the galaxy faces a new threat.

Sources

• Box Office Mojo
• Amazon MGM Studios