Of all the things to do at Salt Lake Comic Con — listen to panel discussions, gawk at the amazing cosplayers, admire the comic artists’ work, sniff the Voldemort-scented candles — the celebrity appearances may rank as the biggest draws.
In past years, such luminaries as William Shatner, Mark Hamill, Stan Lee, Carrie Fisher, Sir Patrick Stewart, Chris Evans, Nathan Fillion, Lena Headey, Gillian Anderson, Buzz Aldrin, John Cena and many more have made fans laugh and scream either at Salt Lake Comic Con or its springtime sister event, FanX.
Which celebrities are worth staking out a seat in the Grand Ballroom this year? Here are five recommendations:
Dick Van Dyke • (Grand Ballroom, Friday, 11 a.m.) • The comic legend — star of “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Mary Poppins” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and more — doesn’t do many conventions, so this appearance should be a treat. Van Dyke is 91, but still active; he’s already filmed a cameo for “Mary Poppins Returns,” set for release in December 2018.
John and Joan Cusack (Grand Ballroom, Friday, 4 p.m.) • What have these acclaimed acting siblings done in the fantasy and science-fiction fandoms that Salt Lake Comic Con most closely identify? Joan is the voice of the cowgirl Jessie in the “Toy Story” franchise, and tried to off Uncle Fester in “Addams Family Values.” And John starred in the Stephen King adaptation “1408,” helped save the world in the apocalyptic “2012,” played Edgar Allan Poe in “The Raven,” and roamed around another actors head in “Being John Malkovich.”
Jon Bernthal and Elodie Yung (Grand Ballroom, Friday, 7 p.m.) • Fans of Netflix’ Marvel TV shows will want to hear from Yung, who plays the ultra-fierce Elektra Natchios on “Daredevil,” and Bernthal, whose Frank Castle recently spun off from “Daredevil” into his own series, “The Punisher.” Bernthal also has a range of other credits (“Wind River,” “Sicario,” “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”), and Yung recently played opposite Ryan Reynolds in “The Hitman’s Bodyguard.”
John Barrowman (Grand Ballroom, Saturday, 3 p.m.) • The actor is known on TV as villain Malcolm Merlyn on “Arrow” (and other DC-based shows on The CW) and the omnisexual immortal Capt. Jack Harkness on “Doctor Who” and its spin-off “Torchwood.” He’s known to convention visitors as a hilarious entertainer, exuberant song-and-dance man and tireless champion for the LGBTQ community. (Get your seats an hour early, and you can hear another “Doctor Who” alum: Catherine Tate, who played The Doctor’s companion Donna Noble, and also had a recurring role on the American version of “The Office.”)
Twisted Toonz (Grand Ballroom, Saturday, 4 p.m.) • This assemblage of cartoon voice actors, organized by Jeff Zannini, has become a regular feature at Salt Lake Comic Con — taking a recognizable script (this time, it’s “Back to the Future”) and reading it in as many funny voices as possible. This year’s actors include Richard Horvitz (“Invader Zim”), Vanessa Marshall (“Star Wars Rebels”) and the group’s rock star, Jess Harnell (“Animaniacs,” “Transformers”). (Warning: The ad-libbed jokes hit a PG-13 level, so parents might not want to let small children hear them.)
Salt Lake Comic Con<br>When • Sept. 21-23<br>Where • Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City<br>Tickets • For online ticket and pass sales, schedules, cosplay rules and other information, go to saltlakecomiccon.com