From June 5–7 at the Indiana Convention Center, Indiana Comic Convention 2026 brings major pop-culture moments—an Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley reunion, Nicolas Cage on Celebrity Row, big Marvel and X-Men panels, and an $8,000 cosplay contest.
By the time June 5 rolls around, Indiana Comic Convention 2026 is already primed to feel like a full-on pop culture reunion tour.
The event runs June 5 to June 7 at the Indiana Convention Center. and the schedule is packed with stage panels. major cast meet-ups. and convention staples like cosplay—complete with a contest that offers $8000 in prizes. If you’re trying to plan ahead. the biggest moments are clearly the ones you’ll have to build your day around.
One of the first must-see stops is the “Vampire Diaries” reunion panel featuring Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley on Friday. June 5 at 14:00 in the 500 Ballroom. The show’s legacy is built on its love triangle between Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) and the vampire brothers Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder). The series ran for eight seasons and remains a defining icon of 2010s television. At the convention. the Salvatore brothers will reunite in a panel hosted by Collider’s Maggie Lovitt. where they’ll discuss the show’s legacy and what it was like bringing the characters to life.
Gaming fans get a serious reason to show up next—Friday, June 5 at 16:00 in the Wabash Ballroom. Rob Wiethoff will take the stage for a “Red Dead Redemption” panel moderated by Collider’s Maggie Lovitt. The discussion centers on the 2010 action-adventure Western about John Marston. a former outlaw who goes on a quest to bring three gang members to justice after the government kidnaps his wife and son. Wiethoff will also talk about the game’s sequel/prequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, where he returns as a secondary protagonist.
Saturday moves into Marvel territory with Alaqua Cox headlining a panel on Saturday, June 6 at 12:00 in the 500 Ballroom. Cox debuted in the MCU in the 2021 miniseries Hawkeye. playing Maya Lopez—better known as Echo—described as the deaf commander of the tracksuit mafia and a major antagonist for Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and his protegée. Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). Three years later. Cox returned as the protagonist in Echo. as Lopez goes back to her hometown to reconnect with her family and her Native American roots. The panel is moderated by Collider’s Maggie Lovitt. and Cox is set to discuss both Hawkeye and Echo. Echo’s importance as a major representative for the deaf community. and whether there might be a future return to the MCU.
Also on Saturday, June 6 at 17:00 in the 500 Ballroom, the convention brings some of the voices behind a modern animation revival. “X-Men ’97” will have a panel with Cal Dodd (who voices Wolverine). Adrian Hough (who voices Nightcrawler). and Alison Sealy-Smith (who voices Storm). hosted by Collider’s Maggie Lovitt. X-Men ’97 debuted in 2024 to near-universal fan and critical acclaim. revitalizing mainstream interest in the X-Men and restoring their reputation following a run of less-than-ideal movies from the near-defunct 20th Century Studios era. The first season follows the team as they fight Bastion and his Sentinel program. while the second season will focus on their conflict against Apocalypse.
If your convention day usually means costume first. then plan for the “Cosplay Contest” on Saturday. June 6 at 19:00 in the 500 Ballroom. Contest judging will be handled by Lunar Lepus. Nikki Nostalgia. and Scarred Metwo. and contestants can win $8000 in prizes plus Cosplay Awards “worthy of bragging about.” Pre-judging takes place in Room #132 from 11:00 to 16:00. For cosplayers who don’t want to compete. there will also be meet-ups for Marvel. Star Wars. Star Trek. and more.
Sunday offers another big fandom draw: Teen Wolf. On Sunday, June 7 at 14:00 in the 500 Ballroom, Tyler Hoechlin and Tyler Posey will headline a panel moderated by Stephanie Carr. Posey plays Scott McCall, a teenage werewolf in the fictional California town of Beacon Hills. Hoechlin plays Derek Hale, an older werewolf from a prominent family in Beacon Hills. The panel is expected to include stories from the show and the 2023 sequel movie. along with discussion of the series’ surprising legacy as a gem of 2010s television.
And then there’s the kind of star power that changes how people plan their weekend: Nicolas Cage. At Indiana Comic Convention 2026, Cage will appear on Celebrity Row on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, he’ll be there from 10:30 to 18:30 with breaks, and on Sunday, he’ll be present from 10:00 to 14:30. Fans will have the chance to get an autograph. a picture. or both with the Oscar winner who is currently promoting his newest show. Spider-Noir. Cage reprises the character he first voiced in the Oscar-winning 2018 animated masterpiece Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The schedule places Cage as a core event of the weekend—meaning the lines and timing will likely be part of the story itself.
The thread running through the whole weekend is simple: panels for major TV and game fandoms, cosplay as the center of convention energy, and celebrity appearances that give fans a clear reason to be in the building at specific hours.
For anyone still deciding on tickets, there’s a discount code listed for readers: use the promo code “COLLIDER” in the APPLY PROMO CODE box at checkout to get a discount.
Indiana Comic Convention 2026 Indiana Comic Con Nicolas Cage Spider-Noir Vampire Diaries reunion Ian Somerhalder Paul Wesley Red Dead Redemption panel Rob Wiethoff Alaqua Cox Echo X-Men '97 panel Cal Dodd Adrian Hough Alison Sealy-Smith Cosplay Contest $8000 prizes Teen Wolf Tyler Posey Tyler Hoechlin Collider's Maggie Lovitt