Marvel Studios has made substantial alterations to the character played by Israeli actress Shira Haas in the upcoming “Captain America: Brave New World,” seemingly in response to anti-Israel criticism.
The superhero, originally conceived as an ex-Mossad agent named Sabra, has been rebranded as a former Russian operative with no apparent ties to Israel, marking a significant departure from the character’s comic book origins.
On Friday, Marvel Studios launched the first trailer for “Captain America: Brave New World,” the fourth installment in the saga of the patriotic superhero, with Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) stepping into the captain’s shoes in place of his good friend Steve Rogers (Chris Evans, who retired from the Marvel Cinematic Universe after “Avengers: Endgame”).
In addition to the intriguing change of guard in the lead role of the American homeland defender, the trailer also included a first glimpse of the central female character played by Israeli actress Shira Haas.
When Haas’s participation in the next Captain America movie was first announced back in 2022, it was reported that she would play an Israeli woman named Ruth Bat-Seraph—a former Mossad agent who also functions as the Sabra superhero. This relatively veteran character was first introduced in Marvel comics as early as 1980.
Over the years, Sabra fought for the interests of the State of Israel and could even be seen in action in the skies of Tel Aviv and against the backdrop of the Western Wall. Among Sabra’s special powers are superhuman strength, endurance and speed, and the ability to grant others special powers.
Add to that the Mossad training program and you get a lady you don’t want to mess with. However, alongside the exciting announcement, which was received long before Israel’s war with Hamas, Marvel faced significant criticism for including an Israeli superhero in the film, especially one played by a “Zionist who served in the Israel Defense Forces.”
At this point, it appears Sabra will no longer feature in the film, at least not as originally planned. Although Haas can be seen in several shots in the new trailer, there was no trace of the Israeli superhero, and the actress appeared in scenes as a regular agent.
Moreover, a new official synopsis just published on Marvel’s website describes Haas’s character as follows: “Ruth Bat-Seraph. A former Black Widow, and now a senior American government official who has earned the trust of President Ross (Harrison Ford, who replaced the late William Hurt).”
So, while the Israeli name remains, it seems Marvel Studios has caved to pressure and changed Ruth’s background from an Israeli agent and/or hero to a Black Widow of Russian origin (just like Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh, who previously played similar characters).
In recent months, the production of “Captain America: Brave New World” underwent significant improvements, during which quite a few new scenes were shot for the film and central plot lines were changed. This followed reports of very lukewarm reactions in early test screenings. It’s likely that the disassociation from Ruth Bat-Seraph’s “Israeliness” and her transformation into a Black Widow was a significant part of these reshoots. The film will hit theaters on February 14.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
