The Best Panels To Attend at Awesome Con 2026

Since 2013, Awesome Con has provided fans of geek culture an opportunity to share their passion with thousands of other like-minded individuals in the Washington, D.C. area. It's one of the largest fan conventions on the East Coast of the United States, and like every year, their 2026 installment will have dozens upon dozens of interesting panels with exciting guests.

Sometimes, it can be a bit of a daunting challenge to navigate all of the panels that a comic convention has to offer. But knowing the nine panels that will be moderated by Collider's Deputy News Editor Maggie Lovitt, it becomes a lot easier to choose which celebrities to listen to. There'll be something thrilling waiting for everyone, whether they're fans of the world of gaming, television, cinema, or comics.

10 Neil Newbon & Devora Wilde: From Performance to Fandom Favorites

Friday, March 13th @ 1:30 pm — Main Stage - Ballroom AB

Baldur's Gate is far more than just one of the best role-playing video games of modern times: It's a triumph of (somewhat?) indie development and unbridled creativity. Adapted from the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons, it's a fantasy fan's gaming dream come true. As such, its excellent voice cast has become a mainstay of comic conventions in North America since the game came out in 2023.

At this year's Awesome Con, it'll be Neil Newbon and Devora Wilde who will grace attendees with their presence. Astarion and Lae'zel will have a candid conversation with Maggie Lovitt about their careers in voice acting, character-driven storytelling, and the creative journeys that have led them to the point they're at today. For fans looking to immortalize their experience, Newbon and Wilde will also be available for photo ops and autographs on all days of the event.

9 Stories That Haunt Us: Enter the Flanaverse

Friday, March 13th @ 2:30 pm — Main Stage - Ballroom AB

The fan-coined term "Flanaverse" represents the interconnected horror universe created by beloved filmmaker and television auteur Mike Flanagan. Thematically profound, full of great characters, and equally full of memorable performances, Flanagan's oeuvre has become one of the biggest collections of horror cult classics of the 21st century.

Another big characteristic that has come to define the Flanaverse is the fact that it's so full of familiar faces. Common Flanagan collaborators Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, and Katie Parker will be in attendance at this year's Awesome Con, talking about what makes collaborative horror storytelling so exciting. From The Haunting of Hill House to Midnight Mass, they'll be chatting about some of Netflix's biggest masterpieces, and will also be available for photos and autographs.

8 'Death Note': Inside the World of Gods & Justice

Friday, March 13th @ 4:30 pm — Room 207 AB

Death Note, based on Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata's manga series of the same name, is one of the most acclaimed anime TV shows of all time. It also has one of the best English dubs of any anime series, and the English voice cast will be at Awesome Con 2026, to the delight of every anime fan in Washington.

This behind-the-scenes look at the show's production and legacy will offer attendees the opportunity to hear about stories from the recording booth, fan-favorite moments, and reflections on what makes the series so unforgettable. Alessandro Juliani (L), Brian Drummond (Ryuk), and Shannon Chan-Kent (Misa) will also be available for photos and autographs.

7 Parker Posey: Indie Spirit, Iconic Roles

Saturday, March 14th @ 11:00 am — Main Stage - Ballroom AB

Most recently giving an Emmy-nominated performance in the third season of The White Lotus (one of the darkest drama shows of the last 10 years), Parker Posey was named "Queen of the Indies" by Time in 1997, thanks to her well-known roles as eccentric characters across all sorts of independent movies. Today, her legacy remains strong.

That legacy is precisely what Posey and Maggie Lovitt will be talking about at Awesome Con. The panel will dive deep into the actress' career, creative voice, and the performances that cemented her as a defining presence in both independent and mainstream film—and more recently, television. Posey will also be available for autographs and photos on Saturday and Sunday.

6 'Sons of Anarchy': Power, Loyalty, and Legacy

Saturday, March 14th @ 1:00 pm — Main Stage - Ballroom AB

Sons of Anarchy is one of the best crime dramas that have ever aired on FX, a gritty cult classic that kept itself fresh through a whopping seven seasons. Partly, how it achieved that consistent freshness was its exceptional cast. Two members of that cast are the iconic Ron Perlman and Theo Rossi, whose reflections on the series’ unforgettable characters and lasting legacy are guaranteed to appeal to fans.

The pair will have a conversation about the show's intense storytelling and how it all went down behind the scenes, making this panel a must for all those who like the show. And for people who would like to make sure they never forget the experience, Perlman and Rossi will also be available for autographs and pictures on Saturday and Sunday.

5 Paul Giamatti: Craft, Curiosity, and Storytelling

Saturday, March 14th @ 3:00 pm — Main Stage - Ballroom AB

It's always a big deal when a popular actor makes their debut appearance at a comic convention, but Paul Giamatti is more than just a popular actor. Oscar-nominated for The Holdovers (one of the best Christmas movies of the last decade) and Cinderella Man, Giamatti is a truly prestigious star we're talking about here, and he'll be talking to Maggie Lovitt at this year's Awesome Con about his career.

From The Holdovers to Black Mirror to Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Giamatti will be talking about his nuanced performances and bold transformations, going into detail about collaboration, his creative process, and the art of bringing unforgettable stories to life. It's not every day that you get a chance to get a picture with or an autograph from an Oscar nominee—but Awesome Con 2026 attendees will, on Saturday and Sunday.

4 You Can't Take the Sky from Me: The 'Firefly' Reunion

Sunday, March 15th @ 10:15 pm — Main Stage - Ballroom AB

Firefly is perhaps most notorious because it was unfairly canceled after only a single season, but that was more than enough for it to make its way into the top 50 of the highest-rated TV shows ever on IMDb. Besides its awesome visuals and delightful space Western tone, Firefly had one of the best sci-fi TV show casts of all time, and they will be reuniting at Awesome Con this year.

Nathan Fillion, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, Gina Torres, Jewel Staite, and Alan Tudyk will all be available not just for pictures and autographs, but to talk about the miraculously timeless legacy of a show that ended 23 years ago yet remains widely beloved and discussed. They'll chat about heists, romance, and science fiction in a panel that all fans of this legendary cult classic will want to attend come March 15th.

3 Adam Savage Behind the Scenes with National Park Service's Art Conservators!

Sunday, March 15th @ 11:15 am — Room 207 AB

Special effects specialist and television personality Adam Savage rose to prominence with the science entertainment series Mythbusters, and he'll be at Awesome Con 2026 for two thrilling panels: The first of them will be moderated by Maggie Lovitt, who'll be accompanying Savage as he dives deep into his conversations with the conservators responsible for preserving the historic treasures in the U.S.' national parks.

From Orville Wright's drafting tool kit to the original torch for the Statue of Liberty, Savage will share stories of experimentation, creativity, and problem‑solving, all while blending art, science, and history in the same ways that made him an icon in the first place. As the cherry on top, Savage will be available for pictures and autographs on all days of the event.

2 'Critical Role': Soldiers, Seekers, and Schemers

Sunday, March 15th @ 12:15 pm — Main Stage - Ballroom AB

In the web series Critical Role, a group of professional voice actors gets together to play campaigns of Dungeons & Dragons. Prime Video has produced two animated shows based on the group's campaigns: The Legend of Vox Machina, based on the first campaign, and The Mighty Nein, based on the second. By all accounts, these actors have forever become icons of the D&D community.

Taliesin Jaffe, Sam Riegel, and new cast members Alex Ward, Luis Carazo, and Whitney Moore will be part of a panel celebrating storytelling, tabletop adventures, and the ever-growing world of Critical Role. It'll be a phenomenal way for any fan of Critical Role—or of D&D in general, frankly—to have a blast of fun at Awesome Con, which they can finalize with some pictures and autographs with the cast.

1 Jamie Campbell Bower: Man Behind the Monsters

Sunday, March 15th @ 1:15 pm — Main Stage - Ballroom AB

Its ending might have been somewhat underwhelming, but there's something about Stranger Things that can't be denied: Vecna was a phenomenal addition to what's still one of the best 5-season sci-fi shows, and that's largely thanks to Jamie Campbell Bower's instantly iconic work in one of the best TV villain performances of the 2020s thus far.

Bower will have a chat with Maggie Lovitt about his process of creating such a memorable character. What makes a monster? How do you find the man within? How long did that makeup process take? These are all questions that Bower will be answering, along with talking about his experience with franchises like Twilight and Harry Potter. Attendees won't want to miss this panel, nor the opportunity to get a picture or autograph from Jamie Campbell Bower.