COMIC CON

The celebrities

Let’s be honest – the thing that gets us most excited about the upcoming Comic Con is the chance to get within photo (or even selfie) distance of our favourite film and TV stars.

Headlining this year is British actress Nathalie Emmanuel, better known as Missandei from Game of Thrones. She’ll be joining MEFCC on March 4 and 5, as will Giancarlo Esposito. He is best known for his role as El Presidente in first-person shooter game Far Cry 6, and for portraying Gus Fring in the crime drama series Breaking Bad.

Meanwhile, Jon Bernthal, star of horror TV series The Walking Dead, and hit movies The Unforgivable and Baby Driver joins the event on March 5 and 6, along with actress Ming-Na Wen, the voice from Disney’s Mulan and Aki Ross in Final Fantasy, and Michael Rooker, best known for his portrayal of Yondu Udonta in the blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Barry Keoghan, best-known for playing Druig in the Marvel superhero film Eternals, also makes an appearance this year, alongside Kevin Conroy, the voice behind Batman in Batman: The Animated Series.

Finally, a veteran star in the gaming world rounds off the celebrity headliners. You know Mario. Who could forget the cheery “woo-hoos!” of Nintendo’s most beloved video game character? Now meet Charles Martinet, the voice behind the iconic mustachioed man. Martinet not only voiced Mario, but he also created the voices for Wario, Luigi and even Donkey Kong. He’ll be at Comic Con all weekend-long.

Ming-Na Nathalie Emmanuel

Michael Rooker

Jon Bernthal Giancarlo Esposito

The cosplayers

If the closest you get to fancy dress is a half-hearted trip to Mr Ben’s when the Rugby Sevens roll around, you are missing out. Middle East Film and Comic Con is a time when fans can really go wild with the costumes. But as well as getting to dig out your Stormtrooper suit, you can also admire the handy work of the professional cosplayers, who’ll hit the mainstage to compete in daily contests.

Artists Alley

There’s an incredible array of local and international artists who display their wares at Comic Con. Make your way to Artists’ Alley and marvel (no comic book pun intended) at the paintings, illustrations and more. You might even catch some artists mid-sketch.

Comic workshops

Workshops are big deals at the Middle East Film & Comic Con and cover a wide array of topics in the comic and pop culture sphere. Highlights include comic drawing masterclasses to useful career advice.

The Tickets

One-day pass: Dhs115 Three-day pass: Dhs280 Three-day VIP pass (including 1x meet and greet, and fast track access): Dhs500

March 4 to 6

a ADNEC Halls 8 and 9, Abu Dhabi, Fri 3pm to 10pm, Sat noon to 10pm, Sun noon to 9pm. All attendees must be vaccinated with a PCR test of no more than 96 hours and provide a green pass on Al Hosn App. mefcc.com