Arab News Japan

ABU DHABI: Middle East Film & Comic Con (MEFCC), the region’s largest pop culture festival, has powered up its 2025 lineup with two new fan-favourite stars: Grant Gustin, otherwise known as Barry Allen / The Flash, and Emily Rudd, the live-action navigator of Netflix’s record-smashing ONE PIECE.

Gustin is best known for his leading role as Barry Allen in the hit show, The Flash, which is the longest running series on The CW Network.

He will be at Abu Dhabi’s ADNEC Centre from April 19-20 to meet fans, sign merch and take photos.

Before playing the superhuman forensic investigator, Gustin shot to fame with his role in Ryan Murphey’s Golden Globe winning Glee and has since appeared in several notable series including Supergirl, Arrow and 90210.

Rudd, who brought ONE PIECE’s Nami to life, will give fans a chance to dive deep into the high-seas adventure of one of the biggest anime-to-live-action adaptations ever.

ONE PIECE was the number-one-ranked show in 84 countries at launch and a pop culture sensation with a second season on the way. Before setting sail with the Straw Hat Pirates, Rudd battled through Netflix’s horror hit trilogy Fear Street, co-starred in Moonshot, The Romanoffs, Dynasty, and Hunters alongside Al Pacino, and even ventured into sci-fi with Electric Dreams.

Gustin and Rudd will join MEFCC’s star-studded line up which also features Ian McDiarmid, who is popularly known as Palpatine in Star Wars, Daredevil’s Charlie Cox, and Hollywood legend, Vincent D’Onofrio. Along with Japanese voice actors, Kotono Mitsuishi, Daiki Yamashita, Hideo Ishikawa, Kentaro Ito, and English Voice Actor, Colleen O’Shaughness.

Fans can look forward to exclusive Q&A panels, meet-and-greet sessions, and autograph signings with the stars, making MEFCC 2025 a must-attend event for comic book lovers, cinephiles, and art enthusiasts alike.