Marvel Prepares to Join Israeli Superhero, Faces Headaches Over Israel-Palestine War

Joining Next Year's 'Captain America' Sequel
Appears as Israeli Intelligence Mossad Agent in Original Work
"Controversial Character in Arab Countries, Could Worsen Middle East Conflict"

American Marvel Studios, which planned to introduce an Israeli superhero character in the upcoming sequel to the movie 'Captain America' set to be released next year, has found itself in a difficult position due to the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Sira Has (left), cast as the Israeli superhero character Sabra (right)
[Photo by X]

On the 31st of last month (local time), the American news weekly Newsweek reported that Marvel Studios announced that Israeli actress Sira Haas was cast as the Israeli female superhero 'Sabra' in the 2024 movie 'Captain America: New World Order,' but since the announcement, Marvel has become the target of criticism among Palestinians and Arab countries.

Sabra appears in the original Marvel Comics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as an intelligence agent working for the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, and is depicted as a character hostile to Palestinians and Arab countries.

Additionally, the name Sabra has been criticized for evoking the 'Sabra and Shatila massacre' in Lebanon in 1982, where at least 800 Palestinian and Muslim civilians were killed.

Newsweek reported that the recent war between Israel and Hamas has brought the deeply rooted Israeli-Palestinian conflict into global debate, deepening Marvel's dilemma.

Deepak Sarma, a professor at Case Western Reserve University's College of Arts and Sciences, told Newsweek, "Considering the complexity of nationalism and the issue of independent states in the Middle East today, the character Sabra itself can be perceived as offensive to Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, and their supporters," adding, "The current conflict between both sides significantly heightens these tensions."

Eliza Schneider, an American voice actor and social activist, said, "Considering the extensive influence of Marvel movies, highlighting a superhero who is an Israeli intelligence agent and opposes terrorists could potentially be offensive (to some countries) and risk causing more severe conflicts of opinion," pointing out, "It might appear as if Marvel and the United States are supporting and reinforcing Israel's policies."

As the controversy continues, there is speculation that Marvel might alter Sabra’s original comic book background to portray her as a new, more multidimensional character in the movie.

In 2021, Marvel portrayed the Russian communist superhero 'Red Guardian' in the movie 'Black Widow' as a comical and friendly character, unlike the original, in an effort to eliminate preconceived notions about Russia present in the original comics.

Schneider suggested that Marvel might attempt something similar with Sabra, saying, "Perhaps this is an opportunity to transform this character into someone who experiences life and love from both sides of the conflict."

Amid ongoing controversy, Marvel Studios has yet to release an official statement.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.