Return to Narnia: Flemish film content creator Steven De Vos reunites with Anna Popplewell at Comic Con Brussels
Steven De Vos (22) is the biggest Flemish film content creator and self-proclaimed biggest Narnia fan in the country. In September 2025, he met Anna Popplewell (Susan in The Chronicles of Narnia) while waiting in line at Disneyland: “It really is the happiest place on earth, I got to meet my favourite Disney princess!” says De Vos. A year later, the pair reunites at Comic Con Brussels.
For De Vos, Narnia is much more than a franchise. As a lifelong fan, he dreamt of meeting one of the Pevensie siblings at least once in his life. By sheer coincidence, that dream came true when Anna Popplewell (Susan Pevensie) got behind him in line for It’s a Small World. “I think it’s one of my best days ever”, he says, “to me this was a bigger deal than it would have been if it were Brad Pitt, because I really grew up with Narnia. In that moment, I actually thought everything happens for a reason.”
Unexpected encounter
De Vos was waiting in line with a friend when he noticed a woman who looked suspiciously like Anna Popplewell, “I looked at my friend and from the look in her eyes, I could tell she thought the exact same thing.” By then, he had convinced himself it would be too good to be true.
“Narnia is my favourite film of all time, it has always been my dream to meet one of the Pevensies. The first two Narnia movies were co-produced by Disney, so meeting Susan in Disneyland seemed too good to be true.” Steven De Vos
After he had worked up the courage, he got to talk to Popplewell for a few minutes about his love for the franchise: “I don’t exactly remember what we talked about, but I’m glad we took a photo afterwards because I was in a state of shock (laughs).” The meeting left such an impression that he could not enjoy the ride he was about to go on.
He posted the photo to his Instagram, and it didn’t take long for the post to gain traction from fellow Narnia-fans; “Anna Popplewell, people really did not see her that often. And now, in the wild, in Disneyland. People started sharing it immediately.” He later shared the same photo to TikTok, where the same thing happened.
Reunion at Comic Con Brussels
When it was revealed that Anna Popplewell would be attending Comic Con Brussels, De Vos knew he wanted to reunite with the actress. Above all, he wanted to reminisce about their meeting a year ago. “She’s a famous person, she cannot possibly remember every interaction she has ever had. But she did remember that day, and that was surreal to me”, he explains.
This made the reunion all the more special, this way they could both look back on memories from that day: “It was fun for me that she remembered the day as well, because instead of trying to get her to remember, we could talk about that shared experience.”
They took a new photo together that has since gained even more traction. Alongside, he got the opportunity to ask the actress a question. For that video, you will have to keep an eye out on his socials.
Voyage
When he shared his new photos with the actress, they spread like wildfire. Some people recognised him from his photo in Disneyland a year ago, and reacted fondly to their reunion. He was not the only person to have his photo taken with Popplewell that day, but he is excited that his interaction is getting so much attention.
“That was fun for me, people were saying oh my god, Steven reunited with Susan, and people started sharing my photos to their stories. It was a full-circle moment for me!” Steven De Vos
Though he has met the actress twice now, he cannot quite wrap his head around it. His dream remains to one day meet all four of the Pevensie siblings: “I’ve met the same sibling twice now, coincidentally (laughs) but it was fantastic.” It really is a small world, after all.
Newest adaptation
The renewed attention to Narnia comes at an interesting time. With Greta Gerwig’s newest adaptation (The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis), De Vos is excited about the future for his favourite franchise.
Though people online are sceptical, he remains hopeful: “We’ve had three major films out of seven books, I’d love to see the other stories on the big screen”, he says. He even looks fondly at a possible re-adaptation of the Narnia stories we all know and love (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader).
According to De Vos, it’s important to revive the Pevensies’ storyline after The Magician’s Nephew, as it’s a prequel that builds the world of Narnia: “The story doesn’t start until the Pevensies enter through the wardrobe, so that film has to happen.” He believes it would be interesting to compare adaptations.
Full circle
The awakening of the Narnia fandom comes right on time for the new adaptation. What started as an unexpected encounter in Disneyland turned into a beautiful reunion that confirmed precisely what Narnia means to its fans. By now, Steven De Vos is a known face in the Narnia community.
For him, his encounters with Popplewell are more than special memories. The viral success confirmed why he shares his passion for film with the world. When asked what Narnia means to him, he just needs one simple word: “Everything.”
Slay!!!!
Wow!