Fan Expo Canada returned from August 24 to 27 and it felt like a return to form since the pandemic. Although it was a challenge, since the celebrities were unable to speak about current and upcoming projects due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Fan Expo rose to the challenge. Fans were still able to do question and answer periods at some of the panels. Instead of talking about the celebrities’ projects in the panels, fans were able to dig deeper and really get to know their favorites.
Paramount+ hosted an area called "The Lodge," where attendees could explore unique rooms set in the various universes, including Yellowstone, Twisted Metal, Star Trek, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Prime Video had photo op booths that showcased The Boys, Invincible and The Wheel of Time. Disney+ had props and displays from the new series Ahsoka.
Although Hayden Christensen's panel had to be cancelled, fans waited hours on Saturday and Sunday to meet him, get autographs and photos with him. From the smiles on the fans’ faces, he did not disappoint.
The Cobra Kai panel was hosted by the star of the TV series Run the Burbs -- Andrew Phung. Ralph Macchio (Daniel), William Zabka (Johnny) and Yuji Okumoto (Chozen) talked about their projects outside of the show. Ralph has made some short films and enjoys sports; William said he would love to be a musician if he wasn’t an actor and Yuji said his family owns a restaurant and he loves cooking.
Fans of The Office were delighted to see the reunion of Leslie David Baker (Stanley), Kate Flannery (Meredith), and Brian Baumgartner (Kevin), who were able to chat about the series due to it not being an ongoing project, and take questions from the audience.
There was also a lineup of voice actors attending the event. From Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Shameik Moore, who voices Miles Morales, and Nadji Jeter, who voices the character in the upcoming video game Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, were fan favorites.
The Zachary Levi panel was very inspiring -- he spoke about making sure to put mental health first and was very encouraging to fans who struggled with depression and anxiety as he has firsthand experience with it. Ming-Na Wen spoke about her upcoming cookbook, while Christina Ricci admitted that she loves Matthew Lillard and watched the 2002 movie Scooby-Doo in theaters five times. Lana Parilla (Regina on Once Upon a Time and Lisa Trammel on The Lincoln Lawyer) discussed her clothing company, Keep It Regal, and how they will be coming out with new items to add to the collection already available.
While the strike made Fan Expo challenging, they managed to still keep it interesting and fun, and provided wonderful memories for fans, who learned more about their favorites and still got the chance to get the autograph and photos ops they enjoyed. Cosplayers were out in full force, showing off their beautiful costumes. Wonderful friendships and memories were made -- 'til next year when we all meet again. ~Photos and article by Joanne Chu-Fook