Stars— they’re just like us!
Well, if being like us means wearing some elaborate costume to Comic-Con.
More than 100,000 people will hit downtown San Diego this weekend for the annual nerd fest and many will be engaged in some dramatic cosplay, dres as characters from comic books, video games, movies, TV and other corners of pop culture, that some will be unrecognizable. And that includes celebrities.
Comic-Con offers the rare opportunity for celebrities to go undercover among their own fans because so many people are already wearing masks. It has happened many times in the past, and will likely happen again for Comic-Con 2016.
Here’s a look at how 10 sneaky stars have pulled it off in past years.
1. Daniel Radcliffe
In 2014, the “Harry Potter” star was at the Con to promote a movie called “Horns” and decided to sneak out to the convention floor to have a look. His costume of choice? Spider-Man. Check it out.
2. Ryan Rynolds
Last year, the “Deadpool” star could have worn his own superhero costume to Comic-Con, but he chose a different route. Witness Ryan Reynolds as “Star Wars” super villian Darth Vader.
3. Jack Black
Jack Black really wanted to get his hands on some of the legendary swag from the convention floor and went with a stormtrooper helmet from the “Star Wars” series. He probably should have gone with the whole outfit because he was found out by fans.
“Somehow the word got out and everyone’s just like, ‘Jack Black are you in there'” he told MTV News.
4. Bryan Cranston
In 2013, the “Breaking Bad” star put the rest of these celebrities to shame when he walked through Comic-Con dressed as the same character he plays in the show, Walter White. What’s wild about this working is that Walter White pretty much looks like Cranston with a bald head and glasses, but he still pulled if off. The mask was amazing.
5. Matt Smith
In 2013, the star of “Doctor Who” dressed up as Bart Simpson to walk the floor, and BBC America filmed the whole thing. The mask might have even worked too well, as Smith said many people didn’t even want to talk to him.
6. Alton Brown
Food Network legend Alton Brown decided to go undercover for his first trip to Comic-Con. He and “MythBusters” star Adam Savage spent months to look like the “Twins” from the 2003 movie “The Matrix Reloaded.”
These two get the prize for worst job going undercover because someone had exposed them before their trip across the convention floor ended.
7. Maisie Williams
Maisie Williams, an English actress who plays Arya Stark “Game of Thrones,” donned not one but two masks at Comic-Con in 2014. She spent some time in a Spider-Man mask before rocking the Guy Fawkes mask made famous in “V for Vendetta.”
8. Hugh Jackman
Another celeb who took the character he plays in a movie to the floor of Comic-Con was Hugh Jackman. He wore his Wolverine costume from the “X-Men” series out and about and wasn’t bothered, except for a man who told him he was too tall to pull off his own character. Watch the clip starting at about the 46-minute mark.
9. Peter Jackson
The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy czar put on a scary mask for his trip out among the public, then posted some fun photos on Facebook about it.
10. Andrew Garfield
For the grand finale, we have a star crashing his own in the costume of the character he played in a film. Andrew Garfield dropped in on an audience Q&A for the for “The Amazing Spider-Man” in 2011. He stood in front of a microphone in a crappy version of the Spider-Man suit and poured his heart out about how excited he was to be playing the character.
Who will go undercover this year? Keep your eyes peeled and send your discoveries to @sdutIdeas so we can share them on Twitter!
View the Video Crowds arrive at Comic-Con