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.

All routes leading to the ExCel Centre got a lot more interesting thanks to this year's MCM London Comic-Con cosplayers, who were representing some of the most iconic characters in pop culture (and some rather niche ones too).

Having not attended any 'Con' in many years, the experience was an education for me, with several lessons coming from the inspired work of the cosplayers themselves.

I present them now so that you can be more prepared, should you decide to return to that most quintessential geek experience.

Lesson 1: Anything can be chic

Doctor Who's iconic Daleks, Silent Hill's recurring foe Pyramid Head and Hellraiser mascot Pinhead haven't typically been associated with the world of high fashion, yet these cosplayers look ready for the Met Gala in my (unqualified) opinion.

In all seriousness, I was blown away by the creativity on display in so many of the homemade costumes, but especially those that put a fresh spin on an established character or design.

Cosplayer Maria Jodicke (@mariajodicke) might not be the first to attempt to translate the brutalist Dalek design into a dress, but this is one of the best efforts I've seen to date.

Meanwhile, the floral take on Silent Hill's Pyramid Head from easy-to-remember cosplayer @MossyPyramidHead was inspired by merging the horror mascot with popular Overwatch character Bastion.

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

Lesson 2: Beware of photobombers

Although I only fell foul of the dastardly act on one occasion (that I'm aware of), the photobombers were out in force at MCM London Comic-Con 2025 for one simple reason: there was ample opportunity!

The convention was absolutely packed, and the most extravagant cosplayers were being stopped almost continuously for rushed photographs among the bustling crowds.

I caught cosplaying duo @aegidiusdesigns (seen here as Daredevil) and @aegiscostuming (as Elektra) in a rare moment of quiet just outside Cosplay Central – but the moment I dropped my guard was the moment that @lookiadia's Jessica Jones struck.

Lesson 3: If in doubt, make a joke

Although the professional-level cosplays certainly catch the eye, costumes don't necessarily need to be expertly hand-crafted in order to make an impression.

I was delighted by this send-up of tragic Andy Serkis character Kino Loy, who broke hearts in the first season of Andor when his rousing escape from an off-coast prison came to an abrupt halt as he revealed that he couldn't swim.

This cosplayer imagines a more fortunate version of Kino, who presumably broke into the imperial spa before staging his daring exodus. Smart move.

Lesson 4: Anime is king

Having not attended MCM London Comic-Con in almost a decade, I was taken aback by just how much ground anime and gaming has gained in that time.

As I roamed the halls looking for cosplayers to photograph, I was taken aback by just how many I didn't recognise – not because the costumes weren't great, but due to my severely limited knowledge of both areas.

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

Between the strong turnout at this year's convention, Demon Slayer's recent $130 million haul at the US box office, and One Piece's acquisition by BBC iPlayer, it seems that the mainstreaming of anime in the west is reaching its final stages.

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

Credit to @itachislilraven for the Tokyo Ghoul costume (right), who spent approximately 40 hours finalising the look.

Lesson 5: Marvel fans still have hope

RadioTimes.com spoke to several Marvel fans at MCM London Comic-Con asking how they would 'fix' the franchise, which has dropped a few clunkers across streaming and cinema in recent years – from Secret Invasion to Captain America: Brave New World.

Despite those disappointments, however, there remained a strong sense of enthusiasm and optimism from most attendees, who were excited for an almighty dice-roll in the form of Avengers: Doomsday and Robert Downey Jr's return.

The jury was out on whether the mega-blockbuster would stick the landing, but most seemed to be keeping an open mind.

Credit to @deeliteful_cosplay for a sensational handmade Okoye costume (left), while our Ant-Man (right) had travelled from Hong Kong and also brought an impressive 3D-printed Iron Man look (found at @chris_iron_man_cosplay_hk).

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

Besides never failing to draw a crowd, it struck me over the weekend that these suited-and-booted warriors might have another perk to their look.

Walking shoulder-to-shoulder through crowds of thousands, it did cross my mind that my odds of picking up a bug of some variety just skyrocketed.

I couldn't possibly say whether these cosplays were medical-grade, but I did start to think that perhaps those fundamentalist Mandalorians were onto something with the 'never remove your helmet' rule.

Something to consider for next time.

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