Following a refresh of its brand, Syfy is making a huge splash at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con. In addition to trivia, karaoke and geek weddings officiated by American Gods star Orlando Jones, Syfy also presented a series of panels celebrating fans, including The Great Debate.
Unlike many of the big panels at Comic-Con, The Great Debate wasn’t about showing off new footage or breaking news about upcoming TV shows and movies. Instead, it was a chance for several fan-favorite artists and creators to talk about the things they’re all passionate about, from comic books to their favorite John Williams theme songs.
With moderator John Hodgman (The Daily Show) leading the proceedings, panelists including Jones, Arrow’s John Barrowman, Archer’s Aisha Tyler, Mythbusters star Adam Savage and All Birds in the Sky author Charlie Jane Anders threw down a no-holds-barred and very funny debate, loaded with jokes, memories and plenty of singing from everyone on stage.
Hodgman set the tone right out of the gate, pitting Marvel and DC’s comic book universes against each other, making Arrow star and DC comic writer Barrowman defend Spider-Man and his friends against Tyler’s vocal support of Detective Comics. While jokingly admitting that arguing against DC could get him fired, Barrowman spoke about his love of Marvel comics as a kid — and plenty of sexual innuendo.
Unfortunately for Tyler, Barrowman was able to sway the crowd in attendance and secured the win. He also won the John Williams debate after writing his own lyrics to the Star Wars theme.
.@syfy‘s #TheGreatDebate is a blast. #sdcc pic.twitter.com/3Sc2QdakKd
— Chris E. Hayner|SDCC (@ChrisHayner) July 20, 2017
It wasn’t all smiles though, as the crowd loudly booed Savage for admitting he’d wipe Star Trek from existence before Star Wars. And it wasn’t just the audience, as Tyler could not believe he would dare besmirch a franchise she loves. Anders, meanwhile, argued that as much as fans love Star Wars, they need Star Trek. It’s a sentiment that won the crowd over.
Other topics covered included who was the best movie Batman (Adam West) and whether you’d rather have a lightsaber from the Star Wars franchise or a jaeger from the Pacific Rim universe. It was almost a unanimous decision to take lightsabers until Savage stepped in to say he’d much rather have a giant robotic armor suit. Of course, he then sheepishly admitted he owns more than 30 lightsabers.
BatBale impersonations at @syfy‘s #TheGreatDebate. #sdcc pic.twitter.com/PE3JnCrUBV
— Chris E. Hayner|SDCC (@ChrisHayner) July 20, 2017
One thing just about everyone was able to agree on was that Hollywood may be going too far with reboots of beloved properties. Instead, Savage suggests TV and movie studios re-create things that weren’t very good the first time around, like Ice Pirates. That said, Barrowman admitted he’d be in favor of rebooting Firefly if his Torchwood character Captain Jack Harkness could cross over for some some private time with Mal (Nathan Fillion). The event was capped by questions from fans and a surprise appearance by Battlestar Galactica star Aaron Douglas, who appeared simply to make fun of Hodgman.
Hey kids, it’s #BattlestarGalactica star Aaron Douglas at @Syfy‘s #TheGreatDebate! pic.twitter.com/TUJ3jootZX
— Chris E. Hayner|SDCC (@ChrisHayner) July 20, 2017
In the end, The Great Debate was everything Comic-Con is about. It was a group of hardcore fans gathered together to talk about their favorite nerdy topics and everything was done in good fun. Hopefully this won’t be the last time The Great Debate comes to the Con.
