SAN DIEGO -- Actor Chris Pine surprised superhero fans with an appearance alongside "Wonder Woman" star Gal Gadot on Saturday but offered no explanation for how he will return to the film franchise following his character's fiery death in the last movie.

At San Diego Comic-Con, Pine joined Gadot and director Patty Jenkins in a packed, 6,500-seat convention hall to talk about "Wonder Woman 1984," which began filming three weeks ago.

"I am actually not really here right now," Pine quipped when asked by moderator Aisha Tyler how he will re-emerge on the screen. "I'm just an aura of emotional support for my pals."

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Pine played World War I pilot Steve Trevor in 2017 blockbuster movie "Wonder Woman." At the end of the film, Trevor sacrifices himself for the greater good and appears to die as his plane explodes.

Jenkins, who had tweeted a photo of Pine on the "1984" set in June, also was vague about his role on Saturday.

"What is he back here for? It's something I'm super excited for everybody to see the movie find out," she said. "It's a very important part of our movie."

The hugely successful "Wonder Woman" was a bright spot for Warner Bros.' DC Comics movies, which have earned mixed reviews from critics and failed to match the box office success of films from Walt Disney Co.'s Marvel Studios. "Wonder Woman" grossed $821.8 million worldwide.

In early "1984" footage shown to the crowd, Wonder Woman lassos two bad guys and saves a child during a battle in a shopping mall food court. The movie is scheduled to reach theaters in November 2019.

Gadot said "1984" was not a traditional sequel. "It's its own story. It's a different story," she said.