Stargate goes to Comic-Con!

The cast of Stargate Atlantis came to San Diego to party — and work — last weekend, as tens of thousands of science fiction and fantasy fans gathered for the largest genre event of the year: Comic-Con!

SCI FI Channel hosted a Stargate Atlantis Season Four panel, as well as panels for its other shows and a party for all of its shows. On the panel were executive producer Robert C. Cooper, director Martin Wood, Joe Flanigan (“John Sheppard”), Amanda Tapping (“Samantha Carter”), David Hewlett (“Rodney McKay”), Jewel Staite (“Jennifer Keller”), and SCI FI Channel’s Nora O’Brien.

MGM also hosted a Stargate SG-1: The Ark of Truth panel for the upcoming DVD movie, which included Cooper, Wood, Tapping, Ben Browder (“Cameron Mitchell”), and Christopher Judge (“Teal’c”).

Both panels were hosted by actor Gary Jones (“Walter Harriman”).

Flanigan revealed that he’s probably going to do a remake of the film “Shattered” for MGM, which would shoot in November after Atlantis wraps. He also told the crowd that he’s been angling for a chance to direct an episode of Atlantis, and hoped that fans could bring their collective pressure to bear on the show’s producers on his behalf. “I am dying to direct,” he said. “If you guys want to apply as much pressure as possible at this awkward moment on the producers, I’m all for it!”

A story currently being spun-out in the writer’s room comes from a pitch by Flanigan, and would see him return to Earth. “We’re spinning Sheppard’s backstory, specifically the fact that in ‘Letters From Pegasus’ he didn’t really seem to have anyone out there,” Mallozzi told the crowd. “And the question is ‘Why?’ And we’ve got something really cool planned. … Joe came up with a great springboard for a story. We’re going back to Earth.”

Hewlett and Tapping talked about the joys of working together again, while Staite reflected on the differences between her new character, Dr. Jennifer Keller, and the one that made her famous: Firefly‘s Kaylee Frye. “Dr. Keller has a bit more of an edge to her,” she said. “And she’s very, very, very smart — I think she’s smarter than she actually knows. So that’s been a bit of an interesting dynamic to play. And she’s not as sexually ‘evolved’ as Kaylee … or obsessed.”

“I feel very new,” Staite joked about being on the show’s cast this year. “And the ship is a lot fancier, so I’m really glad I don’t have to fit it!”

The cast also joked about having action figures of themselves. Flanigan related that his young son won’t go to sleep without his “daddy action figure.” “I don’t know how long that will last before he starts sticking pens in it,” he joked.

Finally, Mallozzi teased fans with an upcoming story tidbit — spoilerphobes, skip to the next paragraph! “In Season Three we set up the Midway station [‘The Return, Part 1’],” he said. “And we’re going to follow that through, through a good part of Season Four. But in sci-fi nothing lasts forever and the best laid plans often go awry. So if you get your heart set on the Midway station, you may be disappointed.”

“Midway” is the title of an episode in the second half of Season Four.

Didn’t make it to Comic-Con? Not to worry! SciFi.com has coverage of the event, including full video of the 35-minute Atlantis panel.

David Hewlett has also published a blog installment at the site, reflecting on his Comic-Con experience. Also check out David’s regular blog. And Joseph Mallozzi has been blogging and posting photos from his trip all week, including exclusive pictures of the cast at the SCI FI Channel / Entertainment Weekly party (not to be missed!).

Over at MTV.com, Amanda Tapping has posted a short photo gallery of her time at the event, which includes Ben Browder behind the scenes, Sanctuary fans, and the big Stargate panels — reportedly attended by some 4,000 fans.

(Thanks to Brian Jacks and hendricks ng for contributing)