Another year of MegaCon Orlando has come and gone, but this year was one for the ages. With the plethora of fans cosplaying and interacting with their favorite stars to the stars that took the stage to talk with fans (everyone from John Barrowman to Billie Piper to Stan Lee), MegaCon was a huge success.
Of course one of the highlights of these conventions is when the stars participate in Q&A panels with fans, which are always a highlight in themselves. We attended our fair share of panels this past weekend at MegaCon, which were equally insightful as they were entertaining.
As huge advocates of DC and Marvel television, we made those panels a must-see. Here are our five favorite panels from MegaCon, featuring actors from DC and Marvel television shows:
1. John Barrowman
If you’ve never seen a John Barrowman panel live, make sure to put it on your bucket list because it’s an experience unlike any other that you’ll never forget. When Barrowman does a panel it’s more like a show. He performs in a way that electrifies the entire room. Damn does Barrowman know how to put on a show.
While we got little teases about Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Arrow, this panel was all about watching Barrowman interact with fans in a way that only Barrowman can. The highlights included Barrowman’s interaction with the person in charge of the person signing for the death and hard of hearing, inviting an Army man in a dress on stage, and belting out “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid while wearing a red wig and pretending to be a mermaid. Barrowman’s panel was hands down the highlight of MegaCon.
2. Hayley Atwell
While ABC might’ve given up on Agent Carter, the shows legions of fans, along with lead actress Hayley Atwell have not. The hot topic during Atwell’s panel was the Agent Carter season 3 talk and how to bring the show back in some capacity (are you listening, Netflix?)
Atwell revealed some details about what season 3 would entail, including going further back into Peggy’s past and really exploring more with her family, including her brother. Atwell also declared that if Agent Carter were to find a new home she would “100 percent” reprise her role as Peggy, including working weekends while she films her new drama Conviction.
Another highlight of the panel included when a fan asked Atwell about Hydra Captain America, to which she was completely unaware of. But once she understood what was happening, she made her stance clear: “Peggy says no!” Seriously guys, make a T-Shirt with that on it.
There was also a cute question about what gender baby she’d like if Steve and Peggy ever had a child, to which she replied: “Steve would be cute with a little girl.” Atwell also made her stance on Steve and Sharon being a thing in Captain America: Civil War: “I think it’s wrong.”
3. Katie Cassidy
While Laurel Lance might’ve met a tragic end on Arrow, Katie Cassidy is very much still alive and grateful to the fans that have continued to support her. Cassidy teared up as she thanked the audience — and fans everywhere, really — for making her experience on Arrow one of the best she’s ever had.
Of course a hot topic of the panel was about Laurel’s death on Arrow, to which Cassidy said she understood why it had to happen from a story standpoint although she’s still incredibly sad about it. But Cassidy was very optimistic about her future in the DC Universe as Black Siren, Laurel Lance’s evil Earth-2 doppleganger. Black Siren appeared on The Flash‘s penultimate episode and was defeated, but she was merely locked away leaving the door open for her return on The Flash and potentially Arrow and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.
Cassidy got a surprise when Arrow costar John Barrowman crashed her panel posing as a member of the audience asking a question. The two had a lot of fun together on stage, including recalling hilarious bloopers from set and showing the utmost admiration for one another.
Also something to keep in mind: A fan asked Cassidy about how she would feel about a Black Siren vs. White Canary showdown along with costar Caity Lotz. And not only are both Cassidy and Lotz excited about that possibility, but so are we. Seriously, this needs to happen.
4. Carlos Valdes
When it comes to Carlos Valdes off screen it’s still impossible to miss that natural charisma and comedic timing that he brings with his interactions with fans that’s so very Cisco Ramon. Valdes was amazing interacting with fans, including running and jumping off the stage (his Tom Cruise moment) to hug a fan and hugging a young fan dressed as Groot that said she had a crush on him. Valdes’ panel was vibrant and full of life, as well as teases from next season.
When discussing season 3, Valdes said that the likelihood of the Flashpoint Paradox happening next season is quite high. He also mentioned that things in season 3 are going to be very different — but not bad different, just different in an exciting way. He asked the fandom to have faith in wherever they go next.
Valdes also had some fun with fans, including immediately shutting down a question about cutting his hair, entertaining the idea of a musical episode of The Flash, serenading the audience, and being teased by executive producer Andrew Kreisberg about Vibe from the very beginning.
5. Elden Henson
Elden Henson is one of those actors that is incredibly chill yet charismatic, and that really showed in his MegaCon panel. The Daredevil star discussed everything from Foggy Nelson to The Hunger Games to Mighty Ducks during what was a delightfully wonderful hour.
One of the highlights of the panel came with a little hearing mishap when a fan asked Henson about his favorite “beer,” which Henson heard as “beard” as thus began to ramble about how much he loves his beard. The fan later corrected him, which made for one hell of a moment that Henson couldn’t get past through the rest of the panel.
While Henson isn’t necessarily a big comic guy himself he really enjoys being a part of this comic universe. He raved about the writers that have made Daredevil one of the best television shows period, as well as the dynamic between Matt, Foggy, and Karen as being a central part of the heart of the show. But the highlight for Henson this MegaCon was meeting a fan who cosplayed as Foggy. “That blew my mind.” Oh, and he also gave a bride away at a wedding here at MegaCon. How cool is that?!
MegaCon heads to Tampa Bay October 28-30 with guests David Tennant, William Shatner, Karl Urban, and more on the way!
