What I learnt from cosplay at MCM London Comic-Con 2025

If you were in London at the weekend, you may have seen some unusual sights on the underground.

This year’s MCM London Comic-Con brought vibrant costumes to all roads around the ExCel Centre. Cosplayers dressed up as everything from hugely popular characters to those known only to dedicated fans, making the journey to the event a real spectacle.

It had been years since I’d been to a convention, and the experience was really eye-opening. I especially learned a lot from watching the creativity and dedication of the cosplayers.

I’m sharing this information now to help you be ready, in case you ever want to revisit that classic geek experience.

Lesson 1: Anything can be chic

As a huge cinema fan, I never thought I’d see the day where the Daleks from Doctor Who, Pyramid Head from Silent Hill, and Pinhead from Hellraiser looked like they were heading to the Met Gala! But these cosplayers absolutely nailed it – they look incredible, in my totally amateur opinion.

I was truly impressed by how creative the homemade costumes were, particularly the ones that offered a unique and original take on familiar characters or designs.

Cosplayer Maria Jodicke (@mariajodicke) has created a fantastic dress inspired by the iconic, blocky Dalek design. While others have tried similar concepts, this version is one of the most impressive I’ve seen.

The creative floral Pyramid Head costume, created by cosplayer @MossyPyramidHead, was designed by combining the iconic Silent Hill monster with the Overwatch character Bastion.

And Pinhead, as channelled by @trashnim_, is just cool as hell (no pun intended).

Lesson 2: Beware of photobombers

Even though it only happened to me once (as far as I know), there were a lot of people jumping into photos at MCM London Comic-Con 2025 because there were so many chances to do it!

The convention was incredibly crowded, and people kept stopping the most elaborate cosplayers for quick photos amidst the lively atmosphere.

I spotted cosplayers @aegidiusdesigns (dressed as Daredevil) and @aegiscostuming (as Elektra) taking a break near Cosplay Central. As soon as I lowered my camera, @lookiadia, who was cosplaying Jessica Jones, jumped into the scene!

Lesson 3: If in doubt, make a joke

While impressive, highly detailed cosplays aren’t the only way to stand out – you don’t need to be an expert costume maker to create something memorable.

I really enjoyed how this cleverly poked fun at Andy Serkis’s heartbreaking character, Kino Loy, from the first season of Andor. Viewers were deeply moved by his inspiring escape from the prison, only to be shocked when it was revealed he couldn’t swim.

This cosplayer portrays a luckier version of Kino – one who managed to sneak into the imperial spa before making his escape. It was a clever plan.

Lesson 4: Anime is king

It had been nearly ten years since I last went to MCM London Comic-Con, and I was surprised by how much more popular anime and gaming had become.

While wandering around taking pictures of cosplayers, I was surprised by how many I didn’t know. It wasn’t that the costumes weren’t good, but simply because I’m not very familiar with the characters or the cosplaying community.

To paraphrase Principal Skinner: ‘Am I out of touch? No, it’s the cosplayers who are wrong.’

With a huge number of people attending this year’s anime convention, the impressive $130 million earned by Demon Slayer in US theaters, and One Piece now available on BBC iPlayer, it looks like anime is finally becoming fully accepted into mainstream western culture.

Time to finally get involved, me thinks – if the train hasn’t already left me behind.

The impressive Tokyo Ghoul costume on the right was created by @itachislilraven, who dedicated around 40 hours to perfecting it.

Lesson 5: Marvel fans still have hope

Even though there were some letdowns, most people left feeling excited and hopeful, especially about the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday movie and Robert Downey Jr.’s involvement.

Everyone was wondering if the hugely popular movie would be a success, but most people were willing to wait and see.

We loved the incredible handmade Okoye costume by @deeliteful_cosplay (on the left)! Our Ant-Man (on the right) came all the way from Hong Kong and even showcased a fantastic 3D-printed Iron Man costume created by @chris_iron_man_cosplay_hk.

Lesson 6: Armour is cool – and maybe sensible in the pandemic era

I noticed this weekend that the smartly dressed performers always attract a large audience, and it seems their appearance might be a deliberate part of their appeal.

Honestly, being crammed into those massive crowds made me instantly worry about catching something. It’s just a natural thought when you’re that close to so many people!

I’m no expert on medical safety, but seeing these costumes made me wonder if those strict Mandalorians had a point about always keeping their helmets on.

Something to consider for next time.

2025-10-27 20:06