Entertainment
6 Best Things To Do at Indiana Comic Convention 2026
Comic conventions are great places for pop culture fans to enjoy, shop, and meet like-minded individuals, all while surrounded by the movies, shows, games, and comic books that mean so much to them. From June 5 to June 7, Indiana will take center stage as it hosts the Indiana Comic Convention, an exciting gathering that will feature some of the biggest names in entertainment together at the Indiana Convention Center.
Attending a comic con can be a daunting experience, especially if you don’t know how to manage your time. Indiana Comic Con 2026 will also feature quite a few exciting panels, making the choice of which ones to attend all the more complicated. Luckily, we have you covered there. Here are some of the best things to do at Indiana Comic Convention 2026, including panels, activities, experiences, and even contests. We also have a discount code for all of you who have yet to purchase your tickets: type in COLLIDER in the APPLY PROMO CODE box at checkout and get a juicy deal!
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‘Vampire Diaries’ Reunion With Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley – Friday, June 5, 14:00, 500 Ballroom
Teen shows absolutely dominated the 2010s, but few were more successful than The Vampire Diaries. Based on L. J. Smith‘s eponymous book series, the show follows the love triangle between teenager Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) and the vampire brothers Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder). The show went on for eight seasons and remains an icon of 2010s television.
Indiana Comic Convention 2026 will provide a massive treat for fans of the show, as both Salvatore brothers will reunite on stage in a panel hosted by Collider‘s Maggie Lovitt. Wesley and Somerhalder remain fan-favorites, and their reunion is bound to be one of the con’s most talked-about moments. Together, they’ll discuss the show’s considerable legacy and maybe even share a detail or two of what it was like to bring life to these mysterious and alluring brothers.
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‘Red Dead Redemption’ Panel With Rob Wiethoff – Friday, June 5, 16:00, Wabash Ballroom
Video games are hotter than ever. In fact, the industry is arguably experiencing its highest peak, and it shows no signs of stopping. One of the most acclaimed video games of the 21st century is 2010’s Red Dead Redemption, an action-adventure Western about the exploits of John Marston, a former outlaw who goes on a quest to bring three gang members to justice after the government kidnaps his wife and son.
As one of the best adventure video games of all time, Red Dead Redemption has a large following that will surely be present at Indiana Comic Convention 2026, where Rob Wiethoff will be doing a panel moderated by Collider‘s Maggie Lovitt. Wiethoff will be there to chat about the game and its sequel/prequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, where he returns as a secondary protagonist. This duology is among the most acclaimed in modern gaming, so there won’t be a shortage of topics for Wiethoff to discuss.
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Alaqua Cox Panel – Saturday, June 6, 12:00, 500 Ballroom
Alaqua Cox debuted in the MCU in the surprisingly great 2021 miniseries Hawkeye, playing Maya Lopez, AKA Echo, the deaf commander of the tracksuit mafia and a major antagonist for Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and his protegée, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). Cox returned three years later as the protagonist in Echo, where Lopez returns to her hometown to reconnect with her family and Native American roots.
At Indiana Comic Convention 2026, Cox will headline a panel, moderated by Collider‘s Maggie Lovitt. There, she’ll discuss both shows, Echo’s importance as a major representative for the deaf community, and perhaps even hint at when we might see her again in the MCU. Unfairly, Cox hasn’t received the same attention as other major players of the MCU, so it’s great that she has these types of opportunities to showcase her artistry and contributions to the franchise.
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‘X-Men ’97’ Panel With Cal Dodd, Adrian Hough, and Alison Sealy-Smith – Saturday, June 6, 17:00, 500 Ballroom
A revival of the seminal ’90s show X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men ’97 debuted in 2024 to near-universal fan and critical acclaim. It revitalized mainstream interest for the X-Men and restored their reputation following a series of less-than-ideal movies from the near-defunct 20th Century Studios era. The show’s first season sees the titular team fighting Bastion and his Sentinel program, while the soon-to-be-released second season will focus on their conflict against Apocalypse.
Indiana Comic Convention 2026 will host three cast members of the show — Cal Dodd, who voices Wolverine, Adrian Hough, who voices Nightcrawler, and Alison Sealy-Smith, who voices Storm — in a panel hosted by Collider‘s Maggie Lovitt. The trio will talk about the original show’s enduring appeal and the revival’s continued success. Perhaps they’ll even provide a bit of extra info about the team’s upcoming fight with Apocalypse! Season 2 of X-Men ’97 is among the most anticipated in superhero TV, making this panel even more exciting for fans.
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Cosplay Contest – Saturday, June 6, 19:00, 500 Ballroom
Cosplaying is a must in these types of events. An art form in itself, cosplaying is practically synonymous with conventions, and fans put out all the stops for the occasion. Some of the attendees create spectacular replicas of their favorite pop culture characters, many of which could easily belong in a museum, considering the level of detail and care that go into these costumes.
As expected, Indiana Comic Convention 2026 will indeed host a cosplay contest, which will take place on Saturday, June 6 at 19:00. Lunar Lepus, Nikki Nostalgia, and Scarred Metwo will be the judges for the occasion, and contestants will participate for the chance to win $8000 in prizes and Cosplay Awards “worthy of bragging about.” Pre-judging will happen in Room #132 from 11:00 to 16:00. For cosplayers who don’t want to compete, there will also be meet-ups for Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, and more.
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‘Teen Wolf’ Panel With Tyler Hoechlin and Tyler Posey – Sunday, June 7, 14:00, 500 Ballroom
If you grew up in the 2010s, chances are you were a fan of Teen Wolf, MTV’s reimagining of the eponymous 1985 movie. Set in the fictional California town of Beacon Hills, the show stars Tyler Posey as Scott McCall, a teenage werewolf who must fight all manner of supernatural threats. Joining his pack is an assortment of allies, including Derek Hale (Tyler Hoechlin), an older werewolf from a prominent family in Beacon Hills.
Indiana Comic Convention 2026 will host the two most famous werewolves from Teen Wolf, as Posey and Hoechlin will headline a panel moderated by Stephanie Carr. The two will surely share stories from their time in the show and the 2023 sequel movie, maybe sharing some stories from the set and discussing the show’s surprising legacy as a gem of 2010s television. The Teen Wolf fandom is still surprisingly active, so expect to see a packed house for this one.
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Meet Nicolas Cage! – Saturday, June 6, 10:30 – 18:30/Sunday, June 7, 10:00 – 14:30
Nicolas Cage is one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood. The Oscar winner is currently in the middle of promoting his newest show, Spider-Noir, where he reprises the character he first voiced in the Oscar-winning 2018 animated masterpiece Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Fans have been wanting to see Cage suiting up as the hard-boiled detective for years now, and it’s wild to think we actually got our wish.
At Indiana Comic Convention 2026, Cage will be appearing on Celebrity Row on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, he’ll be present from 10:30 to 18:30 with breaks, while on Sunday, he’ll be there from 10:00 to 14:30. You’ll get a chance to get an autograph, a picture, or both with this pop culture icon, whose career spans forty years and includes some of the most celebrated movies of the 21st century. Cage will undoubtedly be one of the con’s main events, so make sure to secure your place while you still can!
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