This past weekend, fans of all kinds rejoiced together as Fan Expo Dallas finally made its highly anticipated return! It has been a full year since Fan Expo last hosted a convention in DFW due to conflicts with the United States hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, Fan Expo promised to make the wait worth the wait, and they did not disappoint.

In addition to the amazing artists in attendance, Fan Expo pulled together several cast reunions that plucked at the heartstrings of anyone who grew up in the 90s. Young Guns, Starship Troopers, Hocus Pocus, and Lord of the Rings cast members were accounted for, alongside newer hit shows such as The Boys. They even managed to get Nicolas Cage and Mel Gibson to headline the event!

The Bad

Despite Fan Expo’s loaded lineup, many fans had concerns due to some late cancellations by large names like Elijah Wood, Danny Glover, Alec Baldwin, Ron Perlman, and more. Due to the nature of filming and unpredictability of personal health issues, changes and cancellations are bound to happen, but the concerns were doubled by ongoing construction taking place at and around the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Truth be told, traffic and parking were a bit of a headache this year. At one point, vehicles nearby were even being turned around to go the opposite direction down a one-way street. Construction on the building also reduced space availability and compacted the convention showrooms to a point where it was a bit hard to navigate the crowds during peak hours, causing temperatures inside the building to increase a bit higher than most would find comfortable.

The Good

The setbacks did not prove to be a huge factor in deterring fans, though, as countless attendees funneled in to see their favorite actors and artists while creating unforgettable memories with those around them. The Community Zone had free VR games, a combat zone, and multiple, heavily-themed photo ops for Star Wars, Ghostbusters, and Supernatural fans. Vendors like OLIPOP, Albanese, and Nebraska Furniture Mart passed out free items amid hundreds of other booths selling every entertainment collectible imaginable. You’d think that people would have been a bit irritable with the crowds and tight spacing, but if anybody minded, they didn’t show it. In fact, there seemed to be surprises around each corner. While browsing booths, I stumbled across several cast members of the Power Rangers who hadn’t been advertised on Fan Expo’s site as guests. I spoke with David Fielding (Zordon), Karan Ashley (the Yellow Ranger), and even crossed paths with Walter Jones (the original Black Ranger) as he was dancing in another aisle. It was also extremely entertaining to watch Thomas Lennon and Cedric Yarbrough interact with their fans, as well as each other, since they maintained the costumes and personas of their corresponding Reno 911 characters the entire time!

Young Guns Reunion

The celebrity panels lived up to expectations as well. For the first time in decades, the Young Guns “Regulators” all gathered on one stage. As an extra bonus, the film’s writer, John Fusco, led the discussion. Being a huge fan of the movie, I especially enjoyed this segment. The cast recounted some of their favorite memories from production. During the interview, the cast discussed some of the film’s more famous behind-the-scenes lore, such as the pranks they pulled on one another. The conversation also deviated into some topics in Young Guns that had not seen as much publicity, if any. For instance, it is no secret that Charlie Sheen was not too fond of having to ride horses on set. Lou Diamond Phillips laughed as he retold one particular story of Sheen’s riding troubles.

One of Chris Cain’s initial instructions to us was, “Don’t think too much.” which is usually not a problem for all of us. We did the scene where we shoot the guy in the outhouse and all hell breaks loose. There were like twenty stunt guys and Chris said, “Alright, load up all of their guns. Not just one, but every gun on every person. Ride again and empty your guns. The stunt guys will just fall down; don’t worry about it.” He wanted chaos and the fact that none of us took a piece of wadding to the head is a miracle… So, we just ride in, pow-pow-pow-pow, empty the freaking guns, guys are falling down, and there are like six cameras rolling. Kiefer and I get out first and were riding off. We were thinking that we did pretty good and that it was going great. Then suddenly in-between us was a horse, like a bolt of lightning. Charlie’s boots were up by its ears. He’s laid back, fully supine on the horse yelling, “Whoa! F*ck! Whoa!” Then, a couple of stunt guys went running past to catch him.

The cast went on to explain that the riding incident had several lasting effects. When the most well-known line, “Regulators, mount up!” was delivered on screen, the scene depicts the cast getting on their horses and preparing to protect their ranch. However, the panel session at Fan Expo Dallas revealed that Sheen was not seated on an animal while filming this shot. Fusco and Estevez explained that Sheen was actually sitting in a saddle that was fixed atop a ladder. The film crew even constructed rigging with handles hanging down to help him keep balance. Sheen credited the earlier incident as to the reason why he refused to be on his horse for the scene. It was also the reason his costars lovingly referred to him as “Charlie ‘Whoa! F*ck! Whoa!’ Sheen” for quite some time thereafter. As a matter of fact, Lou Diamond Phillips recounted another story about the nickname when filming Young Guns 2. He was thrown from his horse and suffered a broken bone as a result. While in the hospital, he received a beautiful bouquet of flowers. When he checked the card, he noted that Sheen had wished him a quick recovery and affectionately signed it with his set moniker.

The panel also exposed the origin of one of Young Guns’ other famous quotes, “Did you guys see the size of that chicken?” Actor Dermot Mulroney delivered the line while the Regulators were experiencing a peyote trip in the desert. Mulroney took the opportunity at the Fan Expo reunion to question Fusco about how it ended up in the script. Fusco claimed that he likes to write early in the morning and had been drinking tequila when the idea was conceived. Laughing, Fusco said that he had always heard not to eat the worm, and suggested that the iconic sequence was the result of it.

Fandom

The celebrities and artists may be what draws the crowds to Fan Expo Dallas, but it is the attendees that really create the memorable atmosphere. Cosplayers get their opportunity to share in the spotlight, and rightly so. All genres of shows, graphic novels, and movies were represented by attendees donning the attire of their favorite characters. Many are already looking forward to the chance to do so again at Fan Expo Dallas 2027, which will be held June 11-13. Until then, enjoy some of our favorite cosplay and moments from this year’s convention!