Saturday at Fan Expo Chicago 2025 might have been one of the most memorable convention days I’ve had in years. I brought my stepson along, just days before he heads back out of state for university—which made our annual tradition together feel extra meaningful. If I’m counting right, this was our third Fan Expo together, and without a doubt, the biggest.

He’s a die-hard CW’s The Flash fan, so our priority was making it to that panel. We arrived on time, only to realize quickly that this was not going to be an ordinary show. The place was buzzing like never before. It was so packed we even got held up in the Skybridge (my “secret bridge to Khazad-dûm”). Thankfully the delay was short, and soon we had our tickets scanned and stepped into a show floor that looked and felt completely fresh

The organizers really changed things up this year. The layout felt bigger, more open, and most importantly, better able to absorb the chaos of a massive crowd. We spent about half an hour exploring before heading upstairs to the main stage for The Flash panel. And wow, the line was no joke. Thankfully, being early meant we scored excellent seats (early cat gets the rat).

The panel itself was a treat. The moderator kept things tight, the Q&A flowed naturally, and then we got the ultimate bonus: Grant Guston demonstrating his famous Flash run live. Watching my stepson—who has been following this show since he was a little kid—see his hero in person was priceless. It’s in these moments that Fan Expo proves itself as more than a convention. It’s a memory-making machine.

After the panel, we hit the floor again. Oddly, there wasn’t much Flash merchandise to be found, but our minds were already set on the next big thing: John Cena.

Now, neither of us are hardcore wrestling fans. We’ve both been to WWE shows before, but we’re casual at best. Still, John Cena is one of those larger-than-life figures you can’t miss. His panel line rivaled The Flash’s, and the intensity of wrestling fans made it even wilder.

Cena finally hit the stage (a self-admitted 24 minutes late), he did something rare: no moderator. He fielded questions directly from fans, raw and unfiltered.

What followed wasn’t just a Q&A; it was a masterclass in honesty, self-awareness, and motivation. Cena talked about failure (“I went up there and bombed. Shit happens”), about boundaries (respectfully declining autograph requests mid-panel), and about life lessons. The message of the day? Be coachable in life. My stepson and I walked out feeling like we’d just sat through the most entertaining TED Talk imaginable. Cena more than earned our respect that day.

Not everything ran perfectly, though. Exiting Cena’s panel was a mess. The convention funneled people through a single hallway, leaving wheelchair users and others with mobility needs stuck for 15 minutes. It felt unsafe, and Fan Expo needs to rework that exit strategy, maybe by opening a separate door for accessibility.

After that chaos, we reset for the Rainn Wilson panel. Both of us are huge The Office fans, but sadly this one didn’t hit the mark. The moderator skipped fan-submitted questions in favor of a freestyle Q&A that felt more like a high school icebreaker (“If you were an office supply, what would you be?”). It was surface-level and silly, and unfortunately, we left without gaining much insight.

Even so, Saturday as a whole was electric. Between the new floor design, an improved creator stage, and panels that swung from unforgettable to bizarre, it’s clear Fan Expo Chicago is cementing itself as the pop culture convention in the U.S. For me, though, the real highlight wasn’t any celebrity guest, it was the time spent with my stepson. We laughed, we geeked out, and we made memories just days before he heads back to school, where he’ll surely be too cool for his old stepdad.

And with Sunday is wrapping, I can promise you—there are more nuggets from TGM coming soon. Stay tuned!