'Captain America 4' casting controversy: The reason behind outrage over MCU's Israeli superheroine explained

Marvel Studios, under the blessing of Disney, has built a veritable empire with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the biggest movie franchise in history. Over nearly one-and-a-half decade, the studio has introduced characters that few knew outside of comics and made them so popular that everybody and their grandma is intimately aware of them. More than that, Kevin Feige and his team have been careful to update the characters, most of whom came out decades ago, according to the times we live in. For instance, Shang-Chi in comics was a monk superhero who spoke little and was basically a western idea of what a Chinese superhero would look like.

In comparison, Simu Liu's Shang-Chi in Destin Daniel Cretton's 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' is your typical Asian-American youth, not really different from other Americans -- well except for the superpowers, of course.

Also Read:'Captain America: New World Order' cast revealed, Shira Haas, Tim Blake Nelson to star

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Anyway, we are here to talk about a recent casting that has caused unwanted controversy for Marvel Studios. Shira Haas is an Israeli actress who was recently cast in the fourth film in MCU's 'Captain America' franchise, titled 'Captain America: New World Order'. Her character is Sabra, a superheroine hailing from Israel. All seemed normal until the casting, immediately after which outrage arose on social media sites, particularly Twitter.

Here is everything one needs to know about the whole thing:

Who is Shira Haas?

As explained above, Shira is an Israel actress. Born on May 11 in Tel Aviv, she earned fame and acclaim in her home country with movies like 'Princess' and 'Foxtrot' and TV shows like 'Shtisel' and 'Hazoref'. She was also a cast member in 'A Tale of Love and Darkness', which was Natalie Portman's directorial debut. Shira played the younger version of Portman's character. Shira also earned praise for the German-American drama series 'Unorthodox'. For her performance in the film 'Asia', she was bestowed with the Tribeca Film Festival Award for Best International Actress.

Watch video |Why is Marvel in trouble for its new Israeli superhero?

What is Shira's character Sabra?

This is where it gets interesting. Created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Sal Buscema, Sabra first appeared in Incredible Hulk #250 in 1980 in a cameo. But the first appearance was Incredible Hulk #256 in the next year. Born near Jerusalem, Sabra, whose real name is Ruth Bat Seraph, manifested superhuman powers. Due to her abilities (the same stuff, superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, stamina, and so on), she was recruited into MossadIsraeli intelligence agency. In her first appearance, she fought the Hulk, believing he was working with terrorists. Later, she joins the X-Men and allies herself with Charles Xavier.

What is the controversy about?

For an Israeli superheroine from 1980, Sabra has actually aged well compared to other superheroes of that era. She is fair-minded and is not racist or xenophobic. She, however, works or at least has worked closely with Mossad and the Israeli government. And with this casting, Marvel Studios, unintentionally, has touched upon the extremely sensitive Israel-Palestine issue. In case you do not know, this issue is one of the most active flashpoints for conflict in the world, and has been for around a quarter of a century. There have been several wars over the issue and despite accords with third parties trying to broker peace, the situation remains precarious. Though to be fair, we know Marvel is going to handle the character while keeping all the sensitivities in mind, otherwise, the Sabra would not have been chosen for the movie at all.

Darts are already being flung from both Israelis and Palestinians and their respective allies. While Israelis call the outrage "anti-semitic" the other side wonders whether Sabra's superpowers will be to massacre innocent Palestinian civilians. This is something Marvel does not want to get into.

Also Read:10 Marvel & DC characters who need their own movies

What is Marvel Studios' response?

In a statement issued to the New York Times, Marvel Studios said that the MCU movies take characters from the comics, but then go on to create characters that are "freshly imagined" for today's world.

“While our characters and stories are inspired by the comics. They are always freshly imagined for the screen and today’s audience, and the filmmakers are taking a new approach with the character Sabra who was first introduced in the comics over 40 years ago," the full statement read.

Meanwhile, 'Captain America: New World Order' will begin filming early in 2023. Unlike the last three films in the franchise, 'New World Order' will feature Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson in the role of Captain America. The character assumed the mantle in the finale of 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'. The mantle and the signature shield was passed on to Sam by Chris Evans' Steve Rogers himself, the original Captain America. The film is penned by Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson, who also scripted 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'.

'Captain America: New World Order', will release on May 3, 2024.