Credit: Inside the MagicMarvel Studios might be facing a ton of backlash.
Related: Disney Cuts One of Marvel’s Remaining Avengers From Upcoming ‘Captain America’ Movie: Report
Avengers: Endgame (2019) saw the departure of several key Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Avengers. Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man/Tony Stark made the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good, while Chris Evans’ Captain America/Steve Rogers retired, passing his iconic Vibranium shield to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson/Falcon.
The upcoming Captain America film seems to continue the storyline from the 2021 Disney+ series Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It follows Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) as he heals from his HYDRA past and shows Sam Wilson fully embracing his new role as Captain America.
Related: New Live-Action ‘Spider-Man’ Series Finds Its Cast
Disney’s New “Israeli Superhero”
With a new teaser trailer just dropped, Captain America: Brave New World has not been a stranger to controversy.
Formerly titled Captain America: New World Order, the (blatantly political new Cap movie had its name previously changed due to the rather controversial nature of the phrase “New World Order”, which prompted debate from fans.
More recently, the controversial casting of Israeli actress Shira Haas has drawn criticism in light of the ongoing war in Gaza. Fans have begun calling for a boycott of the film due to these seemingly Zionist and pro-Israel connotations, but a new report from insider Daniel Richtman confirms that Haas’ character, Sabra (herself a controversial Israeli superhero) will play a “lead” role in Captain America: Brave New World.
Responding to fan @hifive326 on X/Twitter asking about the status of Sabra, Richtman stated that she was not going to have a diminished role, as some Marvel fans were hoping:
Oh. Afraid not. She’s very much a lead in this
Oh. Afraid not. She's very much a lead in this
— Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK) July 9, 2024
Having a figure like Sabra, who dresses in Israeli colors of blue and white in the Marvel comic books, “very much” remain a lead in the upcoming Captain America film could spark major backlash for Disney’s Marvel Studios once the movie debuts in theaters next year.
Boycott brewing aside, it appears that Marvel and Disney have decided to instead retain the Jewish character while stripping any Israeli connotations and (likely) visual style of the original Marvel character. Considering that the character becomes anti-Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in the Marvel Comics, having a character with such a legacy is definitely an interesting choice for the typically risk-averse Walt Disney Company and Marvel studio.
Brave New World will debut in theaters on Valentines’ Day (February 14) 2025.
Will you be watching Captain America: Brave New World? What do you think of Sabra remaining a “lead character”? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
More on Captain America: Brave New World
In Captain America: Brave New World, Tim Blake Nelson returns as Samuel Sterns, AKA the Leader, a cellular biologist who gains superhuman intelligence after exposure to Bruce Banner’s gamma-irradiated blood.
Harrison Ford takes on the role of Thaddeus Ross, now President Ross of the United States (and likely the Red Hulk), succeeding the late William Hurt. Liv Tyler reprises her 2008 The Incredible Hulk role as Betty Ross, a cellular biologist and Banner’s former girlfriend.
Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, a mainstay in classic Captain America films, is absent from the cast list, with his storyline being redirected to the upcoming Thunderbolts movie. Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson will star in brand-new Captain America garb, alongside the new Falcon, Joaquin Torres, a U.S. Air Force lieutenant introduced in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, played by Danny Ramirez.
The cast also includes Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, Shira Haas as Ruth/Sabra, Xosha Roquemore, Seth Rollins, Rosa Salazar, and Giancarlo Esposito, (not the MCU’s new Professor X/Charles Xavier despite rumors), in currently undisclosed roles.
Under the leadership of Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios is increasingly focusing on Hulk-related narratives, with projects like the 2022 Disney+ (Disney Plus) series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and various Incredible Hulk storylines in Cap 4. This focus makes the possibility of a World War Hulk solo movie more promising than ever.