Which celebrities are heading to Middle East Film and Comic Con in Abu Dhabi?

With Middle East Film and Comic Con’s return to Abu Dhabi only weeks away, celebrity guest announcements continue to grow.

From Harry Potter‘s famous twins to a voice actor from The Last of Us, some of the biggest names from pop culture will be at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre for fans to meet.

Here is a list of celebrities who have confirmed they will attend the three-day event, which begins on February 9.

Pom Klementieff

The French actress raised her profile considerably after her memorable performance as Mantis in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 in 2017. Her Mantis character also appeared in the last two Avengers films, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, as well as Thor: Love and Thunder and the 2023 hit Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.

Klementieff is also part of the Mission Impossible series of films, appearing alongside Tom Cruise in the latest, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.

The actress has had brief forays into television with appearances the hit shows Black Mirror and Westworld.

James and Oliver Phelps

Famous for portraying twins Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter films, the two actors delivered funny, and often touching, performances as the mischievous wizards.

The brothers skipped school to audition. And, on the sixth attempt, they landed the roles, going on to become fan favourites in the franchise.

Since the end of Harry Potter, the two have taken part in charity events, podcasts, TV shows and films such as Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho.

Troy Baker

The prolific voice actor best known for his work in video games and anime series, is set to appear at the convention. His most memorable roles are as Joel Miller in The Last of Us games, Frank Archer in the anime Fullmetal Alchemist and The Joker in the Batman: Arkham games.

Baker also voiced the character of Nathan Drake in the beloved Uncharted game series, a performance that won him a Bafta Games Award nomination in 2016.

Temuera Morrison

The Kiwi actor and star of the Star Wars show The Book of Boba Fett will also be coming to the capital. The actor first appeared in the franchise as Jango Fett, Boba’s father, in Episode II – Attack of the Clones.

He was also in Once Were Warriors, a leading film in Maori cinema, and played Tom Curry, Aquaman’s father, in the DC franchise.

Inaki Godoy

Bursting on the scene with last year’s live-action Netflix adaptation of the anime One Piece, Godoy impressed fans with his faithful portrayal of the lead character Monkey D Luffy.

The actor, 20, from Mexico, also appears in TV shows The Imperfects and Who Killed Sara?

Frank Welker

Modern audiences may know him best as the voice of Megatron in the Transformers franchise, but Welker has been voicing memorable characters since 1969. His first major role was as Fred Jones in the Scooby-Doo cartoon.

Since then, Welker has lent his voice to many characters across a multitude of television shows and films. These include Futurama, Aladdin and Dexter’s Laboratory.

Peter Cullen

Accompanying the voice of Megatron will be the voice of Optimus Prime. Cullen, who has been working since the 1960s, has delivered memorable roles such as Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh cartoons.

He has also been the voice of many trailers for films and television shows.

Other stars not to miss

The convention will also feature several comic book artists including Stephen Segovia, Mark Brooks, Carlo Pagulayan, Steve McNiven and Mikel Janin. Fans will have the opportunity to meet them, share a photograph and have something signed.

This year’s convention will feature a Japanese Village for the first time. The area will allow visitors to explore areas set up to convey a traditional Japanese experience.

Visitors can also tour the Artist Alley, which will give local and regional artists a chance to sell their artwork.

Middle East Film and Comic Con will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from February 9; tickets can be purchased at www.mefcc.com

Middle East Film Comic Con

Middle East Film and Comic Con 2023 is under way in Abu Dhabi. All photos: Victor Besa / The National

Updated: January 15, 2024, 9:49 AM