Event Recap: FanExpo Cleveland

FanExpo Cleveland is exactly what you want from a pop culture convention. Celebrities, panels, vendors, cosplay, and the kind of crowd energy that comes from being surrounded by people who are completely unashamed about the things they love. Star Wars fans next to Twilight fans next to people dressed as characters I didn’t recognize but clearly meant everything to someone. That’s why it works.

FanExpo is part of FAN EXPO HQ, the largest comic con producer in North America. Conventions run across the country throughout the year covering everything from sci-fi and horror to anime, gaming, and comics. Cleveland brought a strong celebrity lineup, vendor floor, photo and autograph opportunities, and panels that range from deep fandom dives to behind-the-scenes stories you won’t hear anywhere else. If you’ve never been to a FanExpo event, it’s worth checking what’s coming to a city near you.

This year’s lineup had me from the moment the schedule dropped. Here’s what I took away.

Temuera Morrison was warm and genuinely grateful in a way that didn’t feel performed. He grew up a fan of American Graffiti and actually gave George Lucas a gift on set hoping it might lead to more work. He’s close with Dave Filoni, which tracks. When someone asked what Boba Fett’s dating profile would say he didn’t miss a beat: when they see him, words aren’t needed. He’d steal the Mandalorian outfit or the spaceship if he could, though he’s never actually taken a prop from set. If not an actor, he’d race car driver. He also mentioned that during Attack of the Clones they would pull reference footage from other films and then go recreate similar scenes, which is a small detail that says a lot about how that production worked.

Star Wars turns 50 next year and Attack of the Clones turns 25, which is genuinely hard to process. Hayden Christensen talked about the big moments with real warmth: going to Skywalker Ranch to audition, the screen test with Natalie, flying to Australia to film. He loved the lightsaber work. He genuinely believed the prequels closed his Star Wars chapter, and then fifteen years later his phone rang. He’s a reader. Enjoys doing laundry. Likes cooking. Dog person. Horror over romcom every time.

The Twilight panels (with Peter Facinelli, Jackson Rathbone, Kellan Lutz, and Ashley Greene) were exactly what I have come to know, having seen the cast a few times now. According to them, the Cullens would watch Can’t Hardly Wait, Only Lovers Left Alive, Interview with the Vampire, and Underworld. Carlisle has seen every film ever made from the beginning of cinema. Some of them watch bad reality TV. The conversation about going sparkly and fang-free as a deliberate subversion of the genre was more interesting than I expected. Peter Dinklage and Timothée Chalamet recently showing up in Twilight gear caught the whole cast completely off guard. So did Olivia Rodrigo. There is apparently a family group chat where Peter is sending memes at 2am. Kellen talked about moving somewhere with actual seasons after California and how much more you appreciate the sun (vibes, as a new Ohioan). Jackson wasn’t sold on Jasper until he read his chapter in Eclipse. Peter wants to lie in a bathtub full of peanut M&Ms.

The Sailor Moon (Katie Griffin (Sailor Mars) and Linda Ballantyne (Sailor Moon)) panel was pure joy. Katie was actually dating the actual Tuxedo Mask when she was cast, had never done voice acting before, and has now been doing it for thirty years. Linda auditioned for the role, and was shocked when she received the title role. There is a fan theory that Sailor Moon is the most powerful character in the entire anime universe and the cast was fully here for it. They described the show as the most emotionally taxing work they’ve done. The Hazbin Hotel cast said nearly the same thing from a different room: constantly emotional, constantly screaming, the kind of exhausting that comes from caring deeply about the work.

The Mummy panel might have been the highlight of the weekend. The cast was unanimous: Brendan’s kindness is why that film works. The director’s sense of adventure brought the magic. Everyone wanted to show up for him. John Hannah described Brendan as someone who acts at the table, improvises, brings it every time. Oded Fehr said it was practically his first film and he spent time specifically practicing his resting angry face. The death ratings conversation was the best part. Imhotep’s curse: 6/5, acknowledged as beyond the scale. Benny: sad, had it coming, satisfying. Pressurized acid bath: the 5/5 benchmark. We also learned that everyone on set got dysentery, crew included. What is this, the Oregon trail?

In the photo and autograph lines: Brendan Fraser gave me a fist bump and told me he liked how colorful I am. James Marsters has an upcoming Dresden Files audiobook, something with his band, and a project he couldn’t talk about yet. He loves conventions because he gets fawned over all day. He is so soft spoken and so kind. Also got to tell Helen Hunt her glasses looked great because they did.

One thing I want to name before we move on: I walked into a panel room early before Sailor Moon and walked right back out. Anime trivia where the host was making clear you were only a real fan if you picked something pre-2000s. Young people in line getting made to feel bad for taking too long or picking the wrong era. We are not doing that. Fandom doesn’t have an entrance exam. Meet people where they are.

I left happy. That’s what a good convention does.

About FanExpo Cleveland

FAN EXPO HQ hosts events across North America throughout the year including FAN EXPO Canada, MEGACON Orlando, FAN EXPO Dallas, FAN EXPO Boston, Calgary Expo, FAN EXPO Vancouver, and more. Check the full schedule at fanexpohq.com to find an event near you.

FanExpo Cleveland is held at the Huntington Convention Center, which sits in a genuinely convenient spot downtown. Affordable parking is close, hotels are walkable, and there are enough food options nearby that you’re not stuck paying convention center prices all day.

The floor never felt overwhelming. Lines moved, spaces were manageable, and the crowd was overwhelmingly respectful and enthusiastic in equal measure. There’s a real range of fandom represented here too, not just the big IP, which makes it worth attending even if your specific obsessions aren’t headlining the celebrity lineup.

One thing I’d love to see change: panels could be longer, and I’d love a hybrid approach to Q&A. Right now questions are submitted in advance, which has its merits, but it means the panel can’t respond to what’s actually alive in the room in that moment. Some conventions use a moderator at a live mic to vet questions on the spot.

Overall though, FanExpo Cleveland is a well-run, fan-friendly convention that punches above its size. Worth the trip.