MCM London Comic Con: A Weekend of Pop Culture Magic

As MCM London Comic Con rolled into its second day, the ExCeL Centre once again transformed into a buzzing celebration of cosplay, sci-fi, fantasy and all things pop culture. With more than 100,000 fans flocking through the doors over the weekend, the event proved once again that Comic Con is the beating heart of fandom in the UK.

The Stars Take the Stage

One of the biggest draws of the day was Superbad and How to Train Your Dragon star Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who charmed fans with anecdotes from his career during a Main Stage spotlight. Reflecting on his early days filming Kick-Assin London, Mintz-Plasse described the city as a major turning point in his life. “Coming over here really made me become an adult,” he said. “I was drinking a lot of Jack and Cokes, I got into one of my first relationships and I made my first action movie, so London and Kick-Ass really hold a special place in my heart.”

The actor also recalled the awkwardness of filming his first-ever sex scene in Superbad at age 17, revealing that his mother was required on set by law. “I had to go to school between takes, and my mom had to be on set for my sex scene, which was very strange. She had a field day for some reason,” he laughed.

Mintz-Plasse also made a passionate plea for the Academy Awards to take comedy more seriously. “100%, Oscars snub comedies. Comedy is harder than drama and making people laugh is really hard. There should definitely be something for comedies.”

Behind the Scenes with the Ghosts

Over on the Main Stage, Laurence Rickard and Martha Howe-Douglas, co-creators of the hit shows Horrible Historiesand Ghosts, delighted audiences with behind-the-scenes stories from the Ghosts set. The pair discussed the show’s global success, revealing that there are now remakes in several different languages. “I enjoy watching the pilots, even if I don’t understand a word,” Laurence joked. “I know the scene, but I have no idea what anyone is saying. Spanish Robin is actually better than me. His voice really nailed it.”

When asked about what’s next, Martha teased, “There are things bubbling away that we can’t tell you yet,” sparking curiosity and speculation among fans.

Gaming Legends Reunite

On the Live Stage, gaming history came alive as developers behind Perfect Dark and TimeSplitters reunited to celebrate the 25th anniversaries of both classics. Programmer and director Steve Ellis recalled how Perfect Dark came to life after GoldenEye 007’s massive success. “We knew we weren’t going to do another Bond game since the license was gone, but Rare gave us carte blanche to come up with something new,” he said. “We were all watching a lot of sci-fi at the time — The X-Files was huge — so we thought, let’s do something like that.”

Designer and programmer David Doak added that the team wanted to move away from the muted tones of Cold War-era settings. “After GoldenEye, we were sick of those grey, brown environments. We wanted variety, and that became our whole approach.”

Ellis also shared that the idea for Perfect Dark’s female lead was inspired by a La Femme Nikita poster at the studio. “We wanted a strong female character, but not a Lara Croft type. Something new.”

Discussing the fan-made project TimeSplitters Rewind and the challenges of modern game development, Doak reflected on how the industry has changed. “Back then, you could think of something at night, come in the next morning, try it out, and have it in the game by the end of the day. Now it takes forever. It’s such a hard space to innovate in.”

A Weekend to Remember

From Hollywood anecdotes to gaming nostalgia, MCM London Comic Con once again delivered a weekend packed with laughter, creativity and heartfelt fan moments. Whether you came for the cosplay or the celebrity panels, this year’s event proved that the magic of fandom is alive and thriving in London.

Words by Sal F. and Photos provided by MCM Comic Con