GalaxyCon once again returned to Raleigh this year for its seventh annual outing in the capital city of North Carolina. After serving as the original flagship city for GalaxyCon, the popular convention announced a seven-year extension with the city of Raleigh, bringing the event back to the City of Oaks through 2031. This year’s event featured over three dozen famous actors and voice actors, along with comic book writers, many cosplayers, and an exhibition hall full of some of the most exciting memorabilia and merchandise you can find. Some of the talent featured included Daredevil: Born Again’s Charlie Cox, Jon Bernthal, and Deborah Ann Woll, as well as Linda Hamilton, Marisa Tomei, Sam Raimi, Matthew Lillard, Xolo Maridueña and many more.
While attending this year, I was fortunate enough to meet Charlie Cox, most known for playing Daredevil/Matt Murdock. My other encounters include the cast of Cobra Kai, including Xolo Maridueña (who shared his excitement with me about Kumail Nanjiani playing Booster Gold), the cast of the popular Star Wars animated series Star Wars: Rebels, and some cast members of What We Do in the Shadows. Over the course of the weekend, I interacted with just about 16 different celebrity guests that attended the show, and I was lucky enough to get a few news tidbits throughout. So, read on to find out more!
Charlie Cox confirms he will be at D23 for Daredevil: Born Again and, potentially NYCC
This past Saturday, just before Marvel’s Hall H panel, I was lucky enough to meet and speak with Matt Murdock/Daredevil himself, Charlie Cox. After he mentioned to me that there would be no new Daredevil material shown at SDCC, I’m happy to report that Charlie Cox then confirmed he will be at D23 to begin promotion for Daredevil: Born Again.
It seems Cox is likely to participate in Marvel’s expected D23 panel, which should showcase some of the upcoming Disney + shows that did not appear at SDCC. Along with D23, while speaking with him, Charlie Cox mentioned potentially attending New York Comic Con for promotion of Daredevil:Born Again as well. While NYCC is not confirmed yet for Daredevil:Born Again, the prospect of Marvel returning to NYCC is quite interesting.
He also briefly mentioned he’s eagerly awaiting the second part of Daredevil: Born Again to begin filming, which is expected to begin filming later in the year. Other than the tidbits provided, my interaction with Charlie Cox proved that he is undoubtedly one of the nicest actors I have ever met at a convention. Overall, it seems Daredevil: Born Again promotion is close to kicking into high gear, which is something that fans have eagerly been waiting for.
Meeting the Cobra Kai cast and discussing Kumail Nanjiani as Booster Gold with Xolo Maridueña
Earlier in the day on Saturday, I met some of the Cobra Kai cast, including Martin Kove, William Zabka, Xolo Maridueña, and Jacob Bertrand. When I asked about their feelings on the final season of Cobra Kai, the unanimous answer was “it’s bittersweet”. William Zabka was specifically excited for the final season. Zabka mentioned he’s particularly happy with how the show ends, which provided him some relief for the end of the show.
In other news for DC fans, when I asked about the Booster Gold rumors that were circulating, Xolo Maridueña told me that Kumail Nanjiani is indeed cast as Booster Gold. He briefly mentioned his excitement at the prospect of a future team up between Blue Beetle and Booster Gold in the DCU. This news adds to Nexus Point News exclusive from earlier this month that Nanjiani would be donning the live-action Booster Gold suit in the upcoming DCU film. This news should undoubtedly excite all of the DC fans out there.
Talking to the Star Wars: Rebels cast at GalaxyCon 2024
Star Wars: Rebels cast members Taylor Gray, Vanessa Marshall, Tiya Sircar, and Sam Witwer attended GalaxyCon Raleigh this year for a mini Rebels reunion. Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, and Hera Syndulla have now all translated to live-action in the Star Wars series Ahsoka. When asked about her live-action counterpart Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Vanessa Marshall had high praise for Winstead’s performance.
Natasha Liu Bordizzo, who portrays live-action Sabine Wren, was actually slated to attend GalaxyCon Raleigh this year, but had to cancel at the last minute. Tiya Sircar, the Rebels voice actor for Sabine Wren, spoke of how she was hoping to meet Bordizzo for the very first time and how the two of them would likely be signing the same items together for the first time. Hopefully, sometime in the future, both Sircar and Bordizzo can attend the same convention for the first time.
When meeting Sam Witwer, voice actor for Darth Maul in both The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels along with the voice of Starkiller in the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video games series, I only had one question I’d be really itching to ask him for a long time. I asked him his thoughts on the wild theories that the Inquisitor Marrok in the Ahsoka series was actually Starkiller. When asked the question, Witwer took a little pause to think of his answer and mentioned that it was “really sweet for the fans to think that” as he seemed to appreciate the fans wanting to see Starkiller in live-action.
GalaxyCon 2024 in Raleigh, NC was a fun weekend for fans!
Other guests I met with over the course of the weekend included Sam Raimi, who directed the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man Trilogy, Kayvan Novak and Harvey Guillen from What We Do in the Shadows, and a few others. While I attended GalaxyCon for press, I also attended the show as a fan. Meeting these famous actors, directors, and writers gives fans a chance to interact 1-on-1 with these people, something that is rarely possible on any ordinary day.
Overall, GalaxyCon Raleigh 2024 was a great weekend, full of lots of news and fun interactions. The con was expected to see up to 50,000 people attending the show this weekend, an event that not only creates a sense of community, but delivers a giant boost to the local economy. The show is also expected to give a $9 million dollar boost to the local economy, showcasing just how impactful conventions can be on all aspects of life. GalaxyCon Raleigh is a space where people from all walks of life, and many different fandoms, can come together as a community.
For more information on GalaxyCon events, visit the official website at GalaxyCon.com.
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