Sabra in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Is Still Israeli but ‘Not Mossad’ and ‘No Longer a Mutant,’ Producer Clarifies After Controversy

by

In a chat with The National, the creators of “Captain America: Brave New World” revealed their plans to integrate Ruth Bat-Seraph (also known as Sabra) into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This move caused quite a stir when it was announced in September 2022 that Emmy-nominated actress Shira Haas would portray Sabra. In the comics, Sabra is an Israeli superhero and a Mossad agent. The introduction of this character into the MCU has sparked debate among Palestinians, but Marvel has promised global fans that Sabra will be reworked for the big screen.

The alterations made to the character of Sarba for her first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are being unveiled. Previously, there were numerous speculations and rumors suggesting that Marvel had removed Sarba’s Israeli background, which led to criticism in Israel. However, producer Nate Moore from “Captain America: Brave New World” has confirmed that the character remains an Israeli national in the final film.

“She’s Israeli, but she’s not Mossad. Now she works in the U.S. government,” Moore said.

It was intriguing to note that many characters in the movie are connected to President Thaddeus Ross, as portrayed by Harrison Ford. Since Ruth is employed within the government under Ross, her viewpoint on this character and Sam’s perspective often lead them towards conflict. Despite being first-generation Israeli, she holds a position in the U.S. administration.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Sabra is not portrayed as a Mossad agent, instead she’s presented as a former Black Widow. Moore clarified that altering Sabra’s character for “Captain America: Brave New World” wasn’t in response to criticism but rather to better fit the character into the established universe of the film series.

Moore explained to The National that we aim to capture a character’s core traits and present them in a captivating manner. During the production of ‘Black Widow’, for instance, we recognized an opportunity to intertwine the narrative with intriguing characters that might not have been directly translated from the source material. The version of Ruth Bat-Seraph portrayed in the film retains the character’s original attitude but offers a distinct backstory.

Moreover, Sabra’s connection with Mossad is no longer a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as clarified by Moore. Additionally, it appears that the character no longer possesses extraordinary powers like superhuman strength and speed in the current storyline.

Moore stated that she’s no longer portrayed as a mutant; instead, she belongs to the Red Room, a significant aspect from ‘Black Widow’. The aim is to create an authentic version of the character, staying true to its origins but not confining ourselves to the previous representations. We chose not to depict her in a feather boa throwing diamond earrings as seen in comic books, but we appreciated the character’s bold attitude.

In truth, we’ve had a desire to collaborate with Shira Haas for some time now,” he continued. “Her talent is exceptional, and her uniqueness, evident in both her appearance and acting approach, caught our attention. We believed this collaboration was a match made in the right place.

Sabra made her debut in comic books during the early 1980s within “The Incredible Hulk” series. However, her introduction sparked controversy as it drew Marvel comics into the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In a specific Hulk comic from 1981, Sabra is portrayed as being indifferent towards the death of a Palestinian child until the Hulk imparts lessons on human values (as reported by The New York Times).

Visit The National’s site for further details on “Captain America: Brave New World.” This highly anticipated Marvel movie, released by Disney, hits theaters on Valentine’s Day, February 14th.

Read More

2025-02-07 20:46