Captain America and Black Widow Headline USO's Free Online 'Con' Event

The USO continues to reinvent its mission in 2020 with its Military Virtual Programming (MVP) Con taking place this week, Oct. 6-8.

Actors Chris Evans ("Captain America") and Scarlett Johansson ("Black Widow") are the biggest names, but there's an impressive group of stars and something for almost everyone.

They've put together a series of panels like you'd find at a Comic-Con or Dragon Con live event and will broadcast them online. You can sign up for the events at USO.org/MVP.

Norman Reedus (Darryl from "The Walking Dead" and star of AMC's "Ride With Norman Reedus"), Gerard Way (lead singer of the band My Chemical Romance and creator of the Netflix series "The Umbrella Academy") and Jon Bernthal (Marvel's "The Punisher") also highlight the event.

When you sign up for each Zoom seminar, you'll have to vouch that you're either a Department of Defense ID holder or a dependent of one. The USO is using the honor system, so you won't need your ID on hand when you register. You will be asked to provide your installation, service branch and rank for yourself or your family member.

Tuesday

10/6, 12 p.m. ET: Greg Grunberg and The Action Figures Band

The event kicks off with a Q&A with actor Greg Grunberg ("Heroes," X-wing pilot Snap Wexley in the "Star Wars" movies) followed by a performance by his band The Action Figures, which features fellow actors Adrian Pasdar ("Heroes"), Jack Coleman ("Heroes"), Scott Grimes ("Band of Brothers"), Melora Hardin ("The Office") and Michael Chiklis ("The Shield"). The group's performances benefit TalkAbout.org, Grunberg's foundation, which raises awareness for people with epilepsy.

The event will feature special appearances from Jennifer Love Hewitt ("9-1-1"), Melissa Peterman ("Reba"), Raven Simone ("That's So Raven") and Jamie-Lynn Sigler ("The Sopranos").

10/6, 3 p.m. ET: National Cartoonists Society Comic Book Panel with Members Jim Davis ("Garfield"), Jeff Keane ("The Family Circus") and Maria Scrivan ("Half Full")

Jim Davis has been drawing Garfield, Jon and Odie for the last 42 years, and the strip has inspired movies, TV series and more merchandise than any one collector could hope to own. Jeff Keane took over "The Family Circle" from his dad Bil in 2011, and the strip has been published for 60 years now. Maria Scrivan offers hope for 21st-century cartoonists. She's new blood in the business, and her strip "Half Full" has been running for only seven years.

10/6, 9 p.m. ET: Doug Marcaida of History's "Forged in Fire"

Doug Marcaida is a U.S. Air Force veteran who's built a post-service reputation as one of the world's best knife designers. He's well-known as a judge on the History Channel competition show "Forged in Fire," but he's also respected as a martial artist and has trained both Special Forces units and law enforcement groups in hand-to-hand blade combat.

Wednesday

10/7, 12 p.m. ET: MAD Magazine Comic Book Panel with Writer Desmond Devlin and Cartoonists Tom Richmond and Sam Viviano

MAD Magazine has been with us since 1952 and taught generations of kids how to disrespect authority.

Desmond Devlin has been with the magazine since 1984, writing hundreds of parodies. Tom Richmond has been drawing for MAD since 2000 and was the first artist to do color illustrations during the magazine era, while Sam Viviano has worked for the magazine since 1980 and is credited with producing its first digital (as opposed to hand-drawn) illustrations.

10/7, 3 p.m. ET: Gerard Way, Creator of "The Umbrella Academy"

While Gerard Way first earned fame as lead singer of emo-rock heartthrobs My Chemical Romance, he's enjoying a huge career resurgence as the author of "The Umbrella Academy" graphic novels and the Netflix series created from his books. Season two of the critically acclaimed series debuted July 31 and has been one of the streaming service's most popular offerings over the last two months.

10/7, 9 p.m. ET: Norman Reedus of AMC's "The Walking Dead" and "Ride with Norman Reedus"

Norman Reedus gained attention as the star of the 1999 cult classic "The Boondock Saints," but his role as Daryl Dixon in "The Walking Dead" has made him one of America's most beloved TV stars. "TWD" is set to end after its upcoming 11th season, but Reedus will continue to play Daryl in a spin-off series going forward.

Thursday

10/7, 12 p.m. ET: DC FanDome's Finest Prerecorded Panel Series

DC held online FanDome events in August and September after the annual San Diego Comic-Con was canceled. The USO will re-air highlights, including panels on "The Flash," "Titans" and "BAWSE Females of Color" within the DC Universe.

10/7, 3 p.m. ET: Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans of Marvel Studios' "Black Widow" and "Captain America"

The release of the "Black Widow" movie may have been delayed until 2021, but interest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains high. Natasha Romanova and Steve Rogers remain two of the best-loved Avengers, so Johansson and Evans will be on hand to talk about their fates and possible futures in the MCU. Are we still supposed to be careful about spoilers on this subject? What's the rule?

10/7, 9 p.m. ET: Jon Bernthal of Netflix's "The Punisher"

Bernthal hit the radar with his performance as Sgt. Manuel Rodriguez in HBO's World War II series "The Pacific" in 2009 and gained serious fame as Shane Walsh on "The Walking Dead," causing a stir as one of the first beloved characters to be killed off on the show. He's since played significant roles in excellent films like "The Accountant," "Wind River" and "Baby Driver," in addition to his high-profile role as Frank Castle in the Netflix Marvel series "Daredevil" and "The Punisher."

Putting together this kind of event poses incredible booking and technical challenges, so kudos to the USO for an impressive roster of talent. Everyone involved in the MVP events would rather be visiting military members on bases around the country and the world, but try to look at the upside here: More people get a chance to participate even if the encounter isn't quite as personal as anyone would like.

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