Even though some of last year’s Comic-Con secrets were leaked to the web ahead of time, the 2007 SDCC was a huge deal as far as revelations go. Whether it was the unveiling of Karen Allen’s involvement in Indiana Jones and the Then-Still-Not-Subtitled Fourth Installment or cast updates for Watchmen and Star Trek or a bit of clarification on what the hell that Cloverfield movie was, Comic-Con 2007 left us super excited and highly anticipatory for the next year of movie releases.

But after a quick glance, the 2008 convention doesn’t seem like it will have as many big announcements. There should be plenty of new footage shown from movies like Watchmen (making its second Comic-Con round) and The Spirit (hopefully there’s some better looking stuff than the most recent trailer gave us), but what secrets are set to be let out of the bag?

Here’s 10 things I hope they reveal over the next few days:

1. Arnold Schwarzenegger is back in Terminator Salvation - If this really happens, I’ll be flabbergasted. But a guy can hope, at least for official word on a cameo. And there’s no better place than Comic-Con for a confirmation to happen. Well, I guess if Warner Bros. could keep it a secret until the movie opens next May, then that would actually be better. But that’s impossible nowadays.
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In case you were like me and didn’t stick around after the credits of Iron Man this weekend, you may be in luck. If one of a number of YouTube clips is still up by the time you read this post, then you can kind of see (in a bad quality video capture) Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. approaching Tony “Iron Man” Stark about something called “The Avengers Initiative.” (If the clip above is down, try this one, or try Movieweb’s video, or else find one I’ve missed … or, of course, go see the movie again).

Some non-comic fans who may have stuck around may have wondered who this guy is and what he’s talking about. So, just in time to coincide with the box office news this morning, Marvel Studios officially announced its lineup of adaptations through the next few years. And The Avengers is among the titles, coming to theaters in July 2011.

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Edgar Wright has been linked to an adaptation of the Marvel superhero Ant Man since before even Shaun of the Dead was made. Surprisingly, he’s still attached to the project, a feat that is rare in Hollywood. But since Ant Man is a lesser character in the Marvel Universe, there seems to be less of a rush to get him up on the big screen. However, last week Wright told Empire that he has at least completed a screenplay after all these years, and he is taking a meeting (undoubtedly with someone from either Marvel Studios or Paramount) about the movie this week. The writer-director, who last gave us Hot Fuzz, is still unsure what his next gig will be, though he seems to have it narrowed down to Ant Man and another comic adaptation titled Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life, the plot of which sounds more in line with Wright’s penchant for comedic gore.

While I eagerly anticipate anything that Wright serves up, I’m especially interested in the Ant Man adaptation. In an interview with Moviehole last year, Wright mentioned that part of the project’s original appeal was the obscurity of the character. And I would have to agree that certainly it would be less stressful and more fun to adapt a comic without the same kind of fanbase as a Batman or X-Men. You could pretty much have free reign as far as what to do with him. It’s pretty much the opposite of Ang Lee trying to do something interesting with the Hulk, a comic book character that everyone is familiar with. Sure, there are times when you may have a popular property and an inventive filmmaker and it can work, as it did with Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. But that was like a miracle. I’d hate for Edgar Wright to adapt a property that is on its own highly anticipated, because if it failed, it would be doubly disappointing. So, all I can do is hope that this supposed meeting goes well.

• Twenty days after Lionsgate was rumored to be working out a deal with the WGA, the studio has finally reached one. And Marvel Studios has too! Comic book fans everywhere rejoice as Lionsgate’s Punisher: War Zone and Iron Fist and Marvel’s Captain America, Thor, Ant-Man, The Avengers and others are free to continue being written and/or re-written.
• But hey, if the strike doesn’t end soon — the WGA and moguls meet informally again today — Hollywood can just release 3D versions of old movies in 2010. That’s what Disney has planned so far (even if not directly because of the strike) with at least Toy Story and Toy Story 2. I’m fine with it; I love digital 3D, and I think The Incredibles should be next.
• With Sundance just about done, we can look back and say the star-studded films weren’t all that appealing to buyers. Or even well-received by the critics. Now, aren’t you glad you check out the star-less foreign films like I told you to?
• Meanwhile, as part of the trend of buying less-hyped titles, Slamdance has been selling some movies too.