If you’re already counting down to the next pop-culture weekender, MCM Comic Con Birmingham 2025 should be at the top of your list. This year’s event at the NEC delivered everything from intimate artist confessions to major TV reunions, surprise teases and pure fandom joy. With over 55,000 attendees across the weekend, it marked the biggest Birmingham edition yet.
@mcmcomiccon “You can be unapologetically yourself here!” 💙 thanks for making 2025 one we’ll remember, we can’t wait to do it all again in 2026!
Hot Milk Bring Honesty, Chaos & Punk Energy
Manchester alt-rock duo Hot Milk opened Saturday’s programme with one of the most candid panels of the weekend. Frontwoman Han Mee spoke powerfully about impostor syndrome and navigating the arts as someone from a working-class background:
“I still have to get over crushing self-doubt…when you come from where we come from, you’re told the arts aren’t for you.”
Co-vocalist Jim Shaw praised the Foo Fighters for their warmth while touring together, with Han adding that working with such down-to-earth icons “gave [her] faith back in humanity.”
@mcmcomiccon Giving ✨ main character ✨ energy all weekend. Sunday tickets are still available, get yours and join us tomorrow at NEC Birmingham! #mcmcomiccon
The band also compared fan cultures worldwide. Han called UK, German and Australian crowds the wildest, while Japan remains a uniquely respectful but “unnerving” audience, leading Hot Milk to completely rework their Japanese set.
On vocal care, Han admitted—hilariously—that she practices none:
“Smoking, not sleeping… I barely drink enough water. Should I warm up? Probably. I just learned everything from YouTube.”
Their latest album A Call to the Void stirred controversy, even resulting in the band being blacklisted from the BBC, but Han stands by the record’s political honesty. And as for Download Festival 2026?
Her teasing answer—“I can neither confirm nor deny”—only fuelled speculation.
Doctor Who: A Multi-Doctor Reunion Sparks Nostalgia
The Live Stage hosted a rare reunion featuring Peter Davison, Paul McGann, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy.
Highlights included:
-
Colin Baker paying tribute to second Doctor Patrick Troughton, calling The Two Doctors a favourite because “he made everything possible for us.”
-
Davison selecting Rose Tyler as the companion he wished he’d worked with.
-
McGann calling Billie Piper “the best actor of all of us.”
-
McCoy joking that Capaldi stole his title as the “only actor to play two Doctors.”
McGann was also asked whether a recent on-set-looking photo with Billie Piper was real or AI. His answer—“It’s a real AI picture”—kept fans guessing.
Mathew Horne on Gavin & Stacey, Working-Class Barriers & A New Catherine Tate Project
@mcmcomiccon The perfect family day out at MCM Birmingham 💙 there’s still time to grab your Sunday tickets and bring the whole family down for the best weekend of the year!
Mathew Horne’s session drew a packed crowd as he reflected on the legacy of Gavin & Stacey, describing it as the show that defined both his career and life.
He revealed he is working once again with Catherine Tate on a new project for Christmas next year.
Horne also spotlighted the urgent need for working-class representation in acting, saying opportunities “just weren’t on the table” growing up in Nottinghamshire.
Charles Martinet: The Voice of Mario Still Saying “Wahoo!”
Gaming icon Charles Martinet delighted fans with stories about voicing Mario and Luigi. He considers himself “more of a Luigi,” and joked that Mario’s favourite adventures involve tanuki suits and penguin suits—because they make him crave sushi.
Martinet emphasised he would return to voice Mario “in a heartbeat” if invited.
Jamie Campbell Bower: Stranger Things Secrets & the Inspirations Behind Vecna
With Stranger Things Season 5 freshly released on Netflix, Jamie Campbell Bower brought one of the most anticipated panels of the weekend.
Without spoiling specifics, Jamie teased Episode 8 as one of his most powerful filming days, thanks in part to mystery “important visitors” who arrived on set unexpectedly.
His influences for Vecna and Henry Creel ranged from:
-
Doug Bradley’s Pinhead
-
Christopher Lee’s Dracula
-
Prince of Darkness
-
Funny Games
-
And, surprisingly… Mr. Rogers
Jamie teased he plans to share his personal “reference book” from filming once aligned with the Netflix team.
He also answered the big fandom questions:
-
Which Twilight characters would Vecna vibe with? → “All the Volturi.”
-
Steve/Nancy or Jonathan/Nancy? → “Nancy and Nancy.”
-
What album embodies Season 5? → Sleep Token’s “Ascensionism.”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Cast Bring Chaos to the Gaming Stage
The cast of the upcoming title Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 delivered both heartfelt moments and hilarious in-jokes (including praise for the crowd’s “floppy baguettes”).
They expressed hopes the franchise could expand into TV and film, noting the trust that studios place in gaming audiences.
Jennifer English ended with a sweet reminder for fans debating the game’s branching endings:
“Whatever ending you decide, be kind to each other.”
Ben Whitehead on Wallace & Gromit, Cats vs Dogs & the Importance of Companionship
Ben Whitehead, current voice of Wallace, charmed the crowd with trivia—including the fact that Gromit was originally designed as a cat.
He admitted he personally prefers cats but still sees Gromit as the emotional “heart and soul” of the franchise.
His favourite cheese? Not Wensleydale, surprisingly—but cheddar.
James McAvoy: X-Men, His Dark Materials & Directorial Debut
The excitement kept building at Birmingham’s NEC as Day Two brought in thousands more pop-culture fans for the biggest MCM Birmingham Comic Con yet. Hollywood star James McAvoy took the Live Stage for a career-spanning conversation that ranged from X-Men to His Dark Materials and beyond.
On playing Professor Charles Xavier, McAvoy reflected:
“Those X-Men movies… were great fun and I got to do some decent acting, at least in the first couple.”
He explained that Days of Future Past surprised him with its emotional depth:
“It became a psychological examination of someone going through trauma and abandonment.”
McAvoy said he intentionally differentiated his Charles Xavier from Patrick Stewart’s wiser, serene portrayal:
“Patrick was sage and selfless, so it was clear I should be selfish, foolhardy and self-centered.”
He discussed exploring Xavier’s PTSD, ego, and potential god complex across the series, calling those layers what made the role truly his own.
McAvoy also shared his love for Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, praising both the books and the acclaimed TV adaptation.
As a father, one scene in the show—his character failing to recognise how special his own daughter is—stuck with him deeply.
@mcmcomiccon MCM Birmingham is in full swing 💙 download the app to see everything that’s on all weekend, head to the official merch store to buy this year’s exclusives, and head to Hall 4 to book photo ops and autographs. Getting FOMO? Sunday tickets are still available 👀
Toward the end of the panel, McAvoy teased his directorial debut, California Schemin’, a comedy about Scottish rappers reinventing themselves as Californian skater-rappers after being rejected by a label.
He described it as “a really funny movie” and suggested fans keep an eye out early next week for a possible trailer drop.
Looking Ahead to MCM Comic Con 2026!
With the 2025 edition now wrapped, fans are already turning their attention to next year.
Tickets for MCM Comic Con May 2026 are already available — you can find them here.
About MCM Comic Con
Since 2002, MCM Comic Con London has been Europe’s biggest pop culture event, celebrating everything from anime and gaming to cosplay and film. Produced by ReedPop — the same team behind EGX, New York Comic Con, and Star Wars Celebration — MCM continues to be the heart of UK fandom. At MCM Comic Con, attendees can expect to find everything from celebrity panels and exclusive premiers, to cosplay, comic book writing workshops, independent artists, live action role play. All these features, and more, make MCM Comic Con the ultimate celebration of pop and geek culture.
For more information visit: mcmcomiccon.com
Follow MCM Comic Con on: X / Instagram / TikTok
@mcmcomiccon MCM Birmingham returns 7-9 August 2026 💙 we miss you already, and we’ll be back at NEC Birmingham ready to do it all again next summer!
