Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen will appear at this year’s Comic-Con Prague, joining the lineup for the pop culture festival scheduled for March 13–15 at O2 universum in Prague.
Organizers announced the addition just days before the event begins, saying the actor will briefly return to the Czech capital after recently filming in the city. At the same time, previously announced guest Giancarlo Esposito has canceled his planned appearance due to a scheduling conflict, though has vowed to come to the event in 2027.
The festival, now in its seventh year, has grown into one of the largest fan events in Central Europe, bringing together actors from major film and television franchises alongside comic artists, writers, and gaming personalities. More than 23,000 visitors attended last year’s edition, according to organizers.
Mads Mikkelsen returns to Prague after local filming
Mikkelsen’s appearance comes shortly after he spent time in the Czech Republic filming What Happens at Night, a new thriller directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. The production has been shooting in and around Prague in recent weeks.
According to festival organizers, the Danish actor had already returned to Denmark but agreed to make a brief trip back to Prague specifically for the convention.
“We knew he was filming in Prague and decided to contact his American agents,” said Pavel Renčín, marketing director of Active Radio, the event’s main organizer. “At first nothing happened, but after a week they told us that even though Mads had already returned to Denmark, he was willing to fly here just for a few hours to attend Comic-Con Prague.”
Because of the limited time available, Mikkelsen’s appearance will be tightly scheduled. Organizers say his discussion panel will be streamed simultaneously into a second auditorium to accommodate demand, while opportunities for fan photos will be restricted to a brief period at the beginning of the convention.
Mikkelsen is widely known internationally for roles in both European and Hollywood productions. His genre credits include Casino Royale, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
He also gained global recognition for portraying the title character in the television series Hannibal, while his dramatic film work includes The Hunt and Another Round, both widely acclaimed on the international festival circuit.
International TV and film stars set to attend
Despite Esposito’s cancellation, Comic-Con Prague will still host a wide range of international actors from well-known franchises. Among the headlining guests is Billy Boyd, who portrayed Pippin in The Lord of the Rings trilogy directed by Peter Jackson.
Science fiction fans can also meet Ben Browder and Claudia Black, stars of the cult series Farscape. Both actors later appeared in the long-running Stargate television franchise. Peter Weller, star of RoboCop, is also among the newly-announced guests.
Another confirmed guest is Robert Llewellyn, known for playing the android Kryten in the British sitcom Red Dwarf, a show that has maintained a strong following among Czech science fiction audiences for decades.
Scottish actor Iain Glen will also attend the festival, though only on Sunday. Glen is best known internationally for his role as Jorah Mormont in the HBO series Game of Thrones and has also appeared in the Resident Evil film series.
Additional television guests include Diêm Camille and Sandra Yi Sencindiver, both associated with the upcoming science fiction series Alien: Earth. Sencindiver has also appeared in the Prague-shot series Foundation and The Wheel of Time, while Camille is active as a writer and director in addition to acting.
Actors Craig Fairbrass and Vincent Regan, who both appeared in the live-action Netflix adaptation of One Piece, are also scheduled to meet fans during the event.
Alongside celebrity appearances, Comic-Con Prague will feature panel discussions, competitions, exhibitions, and programming focused on comics, literature, and fan culture. The convention is part of a broader global Comic-Con tradition that began in the United States in 1970 and has since expanded internationally.
Lead photo: Mads Mikkelsen at the Hannibal Reunion Panel C2E2 2024 courtesy Wikimedia / JaceMerlyn
