George Lucas Comes to SDCC with Museum News

At San Diego Comic-Con 2025, George Lucas made his first-ever appearance, offering fans a thrilling glimpse into the upcoming Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Scheduled to open in Los Angeles in 2026, the museum is being billed as a “temple to people’s art,” celebrating storytelling across genres, cultures, and formats.

Lucas was joined on stage by an impressive lineup of creatives, including filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, Star Wars designer Doug Chiang, and artist/entertainer Queen Latifah. Together, they discussed the museum’s mission to celebrate narrative art in all its forms—from comics and cinema to illustration and fine art.

A special video presentation revealed some of the treasures that will be on display. Star Wars fans can expect to see iconic props such as Luke Skywalker’s X-34 Landspeeder from A New Hope, General Grievous’ Wheel Bike, Anakin’s sleek N-1 Starfighter, and the Speeder Bikes from Return of the Jedi. Rare concept art and other behind-the-scenes artifacts will round out the experience.

Marvel fans won’t be disappointed either. The museum will showcase the original 1968 Iron Man cover art and early Black Panther drawings from the same year. Other highlights include the first-ever drawing of Flash Gordon from 1934, vintage Peanuts comic sketches from the '50s and '60s, and pieces by cultural icons like Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo, and Jack Kirby.

Lucas, reflecting on his journey as a collector, shared that his love of art began with comics during college when he couldn’t afford traditional artwork. His collection now includes over 40,000 pieces, none of which he plans to sell. “If you have an emotional connection, that’s art,” he said, emphasizing the power of storytelling to build empathy and community.

Del Toro echoed Lucas’s sentiment, warning against AI-generated art and defending the emotional authenticity of human-made work. “It’s the difference between eye candy and eye protein,” he declared.

With over 150,000 objects, two state-of-the-art theaters, and vast gallery space, the Lucas Museum promises to be a landmark for lovers of storytelling and imagination when it opens in 2026.