Superheroes take to the stage at Middle East Film & Comic Con

Wilson Bethel, Andrew Garfield, Grant Gustin and Charlie Cox at the Middle East Film & Comic Con on Saturday. (Instagram)
Short Url
Updated 20 April 2025
Follow

Superheroes take to the stage at Middle East Film & Comic Con

DUBAI: Abu Dhabi’s Middle East Film & Comic Con turned into a multiverse crossover event as Andrew Garfield, Charlie Cox, Grant Gustin, and Wilson Bethel took the stage for a packed superhero panel.

The four actors — known for portraying Spider-Man, Daredevil, The Flash, and Bullseye respectively — reflected on their iconic roles and what it means to bring beloved comic-book characters to life.

 

 

Garfield discussed meeting fans at conventions. “It’s always a bit nerve-wracking when you’re coming to see fans. And every time I get very shy, and then as soon as I am faced with, you know, a group of people who just love so deeply what they love, and the fact that we’re all involved in things that you guys love so much, it’s such a beautiful relationship that we get to have with all of you,” he said. “I just feel so lucky. I think we all feel so lucky to get to be a part of your lives in such an intimate and emotionally joyful way.”

Bethel has returned to her role as Bullseye in the Disney+ show “Daredevil: Born Again,” in which Cox plays the titular hero. “Charlie and I just fell back into our dancing positions. I lead and he follows. Coming out of that long period of not doing the show, to returning to it in such a dramatic, physical way, was very cool,” she said, referencing their bloody fight in episode one of the new series.

Gustin, who played Barry Allen/The Flash on the hit CW show “The Flash” from 2014 to 2023, said: “The coolest part of playing a character like this is that, no matter what else you do, you’ll carry it always, because you will forever be a part of that character’s legacy.

“I was 23 when the show started filming,” he added. “And I didn’t know how stressful that would be at times. I had to learn how to handle that stress as I grew up on the show. And I think by the time it was over, I was enjoying it more than ever.”


Tunisian filmmaker wins $1 million AI Film Award

Updated 11 January 2026
Follow

Tunisian filmmaker wins $1 million AI Film Award

DUBAI: The $1 million AI Film Award was given to Tunisian filmmaker Zoubeir Jlassi for his film “Lily” during the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai.

The prize was awarded by Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.

The prize was awarded by Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority. (Supplied)

The award, organized by the summit in partnership with Google Gemini, was presented as part of the gathering that focuses on the content creation economy. The event, that ran from Jan. 9–11, brought together more than 15,000 content creators and influencers, alongside over 580 speakers and 150 CEOs under the theme “Content for Good.”

The AI Film Award received 3,500 film submissions. Entries underwent technical evaluation with Google Gemini to ensure at least 70 percent of the production used generative AI tools.

Following jury selection and public voting, “Lily” emerged as the winner from a final group of five nominees, which included “Portrait No. 72,” “Cats Like Warmth,” “HEAL,” and “The Translator.”