“Hollywood’s Love Affair with Fencing” Panel Slays San Diego Comic-Con 2026

Although fencing has been part of Hollywood’s history since movies began, it’s not often the first thing that comes to mind. Classics like The Adventures of Robin Hood, Star Wars, The Duellists, and so many more featured fencing in some form. Moderator Gary Miereanu’s “Hollywood’s Love Affair with Fencing,” held in Room 6BCF on Thursday, July 23, brought together a diverse group of panelists seeking to bring awareness to fencing’s strong influence on Hollywood’s best and most cherished works. Panelists included Iron Maiden lead singer Bruce Dickinson, writer/producer/director Rob Edwards (Captain America: Brave New World, Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, The King of Kings), and Content Republic head of creative (and former Legion M VP) David Baxter, who discussed the upcoming movie they’re currently producing, Fencer. Also on the panel were Head of USA Fencing Phil Andrews, as well as actor Asher Grodman (Trevor “T-Money” Lefkowitz on Ghosts), who were there to discuss their passion for the sport and dispel some myths surrounding it. In Fencer, Dickinson portrays the “evil English fencing instructor, who’s ruthless as hell and who will stop at nothing, unmercifully, to get what ...