Over 190,000 attendees were at this year’s MEGACON in Orlando, and the countdown to next year has already begun, with tickets on sale soon. Photo courtesy of Lexi Smith.
As one of the most-attended fandom conventions in the country, MEGACON Orlando delivered four days of celebrity panels, cosplays, and more — it truly had it all.
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By Alyssa Cortes
ORLANDO, Fla. — MEGACON Orlando 2026 was held at the Orange County Convention Center from March 19 to 22. It featured hundreds of creators, including celebrities, voice actors, comic creators, and cosplayers.
The convention’s three floors held hundreds of booths: small businesses in Artist Alley, numerous nonprofit organizations in the community zone, endless shops in the retail area, and more. There was an area for celebrity autographs, photo ops, comic creators in Artist Alley, and many rooms for panels.
From The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, K-Pop Demon Hunters, Hazbin Hotel, The Mummy, and so much more, there was a fandom for everyone.
The various panels, with multiple to choose from every hour of the day, were a big part of the convention. The biggest draws were the reunion and celebrity talk-back panels, featuring stars like John Cena, Orlando Bloom, and even the Hobbits.
A reunion for The Mummy was scheduled for later in the convention, but on day three, a panel with three of the stars was unexpectedly joined by Academy Award–winner Brendan Fraser.
Questions asked about The Mummy 4 were quickly joked about by the cast.
“You’re asking for spoilers,” said Fraser. “I’m catching on.”
Fans and actors alike discussed their disappointment with The Mummy 3 and jokingly started referring to The Mummy 4 as The Mummy 3. The actors expressed that they hoped the franchise’s fourth movie would live up to the first film.
They also discussed “Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride” at Universal, with Fraser reenacting his famous line, “Give me my cup of coffee.”
Actors from the Star Wars franchise also made appearances. John Boyega played Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. In his panel, he described how he got the role of Finn after unknowingly helping his friend audition for it, discovering in real time through reading the script descriptions such as ‘tall furry guy,’ Chewbacca, and ‘a round spaceship,’ the Death Star.
What confirmed his suspicions was when his friend asked, “Can you not read back the line, can you just beep and bob?” said Boyega.
John Boyega, Finn in the Star Wars Sequel trilogy, joined moderator Liam Crowley from ScreenRant to discuss his career. Photo courtesy of Lexi Smith.
Afterwards, he called his agents to put him out for the part. He went on to audition for nine months, calling it “a real pregnancy.”
Boyega went on to discuss his chance encounter with Tom Cruise and Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams, which might’ve helped get him the role. After recognizing Boyega for his role in Attack the Block, Cruise told Abrams, “Get this kid in something.”
He discussed his chemistry with Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), working with Daisy Ridley (Rey), taking Harrison Ford (Han Solo) to eat Nigerian food after ditching his security detail, storylines for his character that never came to be, the future of Finn in the Star Wars universe, his openness to come back to the franchise, and more.
Diego Luna, a fellow Star Wars actor, played Cassian Andor in Rogue One and the Andor series.
During his panel, he explained that, while on the set of Rogue One 12 years ago, he created a backstory for his character to fill in the gaps. He thought the way the series connected to his character’s backstory was beautifully written.
Luna discussed an improv on set that made it to the final cut, in which Alan Tudyk, who played the droid K-2SO, improvised a slap at Cassian. Luna described laughing afterward, which you can see in the film, but also how it worked, because Cassian would probably react that way undercover.
Luna also revealed he received his character’s blaster as a wrap gift at the end of shooting season two of his series.
“[I got] the one and only. The one that turns and the light comes on when you push the trigger. It’s fantastic,” said Luna.
While bringing the blaster home, he was stopped at the airport as the prop looked real. Luna joked that the TSA did a good job.
Luna also discussed his character’s famous quotes and even responded to a fan in the audience by repeating one of his lies from Narcos: Mexico in Spanish.
Another major aspect of MEGACON is cosplay, with both official and unofficial cosplay meet-ups, contests, and cash prizes on the line.
Sarah Zambrano, an Orlando-based influencer and cosplayer, attended her fifth MEGACON this past weekend. She credited the other attendees for keeping her coming back to the convention year after year.
Sarah Zambrano, dressed as a Día de los Muertos–inspired Snow White, speaks with The Minaret’s Editor-in-Chief Alyssa Cortes between panels at MEGACON. Photo courtesy of Lexi Smith.
“I know the photographers, I know other cosplayers, I know some of the vendors, and so I feel like everywhere I run into someone that I’ve known,” said Zambrano. “It’s just a love for the fandoms and the love for creating that makes you want to come back.”
Zambrano said one of her favorite moments came from connecting with a shy photographer. She could tell he was introverted, but went up and asked him to take her photo. Afterward, he thanked her and said he wished more people would approach photographers first, said Zambrano.
Zambrano dressed as different variations of Snow White all four days of the convention with one common identifier: an apple pin that moved spots with every outfit. After having a baby and still currently being on maternity leave, she prioritized budget-friendly cosplays.
“It was a mix of my things from Amazon and finding what I already had from my wedding to make it work,” Zambrano said. “I’d say purchasing the skirt and the top would be 50 bucks, and everything else I already had.”
Zambrano had previously cosplayed as Snow White, and items like the wig and gloves were reused, while her flower crown and face stickers were from her Día de los Muertos-themed wedding.
Ahsoka Tano’s voice actor, Ashley Eckstein, cosplayer Ashla Stargazer, and other Ahsoka fans at the Ahsoka Cosplay meet-up for Sabacc For Charity. Photo courtesy of Lexi Smith.
Influencer and cosplayer Ashla Stargazer with Sabacc For Charity hosted an Ahsoka cosplay meet-up on day two of the convention. Any attendees dressed as Ahsoka or Star Wars characters were welcome. Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano, best known for The Clone Wars, surprised those at the meet-up.
“She’s way bigger than me. She’s way bigger than Rosario [Dawson, live-action Ahsoka] and Dave [Filoni, President of Lucasfilm] and everyone. Ahsoka lives in all of us,” said Eckstein to the attendees. “The reason Ahsoka is so beloved today is because of you, and you, and all of us, and she has a lot left to do.”
“We have to keep her spirit and legacy alive, so thank you for shining your light,” said Eckstein.
The name of Sabacc For Charity, the organization behind the meet-up, is a play on Sabacc, a game in the Star Wars universe. Any money raised is donated to smaller, local, nonprofit organizations.
Sabacc For Charity wasn’t the only Star Wars-themed organization in the community zone.
Outer Rim Guilds is a five-year-old, Lucasfilm-approved, not-for-profit organization for Star Wars fans that focuses on costuming, prop creation, acting and choreographed stage combat.
A close-up of Outer Rim Guild’s booth banner at MEGACON, highlighting their official Lucasfilm-approved guild status. Photo courtesy of Lexi Smith.
Many of the guild’s members were attending their third year at MEGACON, including Stephanie and Kevin Daniels. As exhibitors, they had a booth on the exhibit floor in the community zone section and hosted two panels, which they’ve done every year attending MEGACON.
The guild got its start at Renaissance festivals, where the members, as actors, took part in human combat stage matches and live-action chess games. Combining their love of stage combat with their passion for Star Wars, they decided to bring the two together.
Stephanie Daniels said they wondered, “How hard can it be to start your own group?” and found that it wasn’t nearly as difficult as they expected.
“We contacted Lucasfilm, and we were like, ‘We want to put a costume fan group together that does lightsaber choreography,’” said Kevin Daniels. “We worked back and forth with Lucasfilm, and they gave us the go-ahead, so we are approved.”
With approval came certain rules, like no pictures with alcohol, no profiting from the IP, and most importantly, “no traumatizing children,” said Kevin Daniels.
The rule is actually not to kill anyone on stage if children are present in the audience.
Despite these restrictions, the Guild easily finds ways to engage with fans.
Kevin Daniels described how every time he wears his Imperial TIE fighter pilot outfit, he gets mistaken for security. He found himself answering questions like, “No, the restroom’s over there,” or “No, the exit’s over there.”
“Fans always surprise me by their energy,” said Stephanie Daniels. “It’s radiating off of them.”
With the success and excitement from this year’s MEGACON, anticipation is already building for what’s to come. Next year’s event will take place from May 20 to 23, 2027.