The fourth Captain America solo outing, Brave New World, hasn’t even dropped yet and Shira Haas’ casting as Ruth Bat-Seraph has already sparked considerable debate. So, why is Shira Haas’ Captain America: Brave New World character so controversial?
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The Shira Haas Captain America 4 Controversy, Explained
The hubbub surrounding Shira Haas portraying Ruth Bat-Seraph in Captain America: Brave New World stems from the character’s backstory in the comics. According to Marvel lore, Bat-Seraph is a mutant Mossad agent who leads a double-life as the superhero Sabra. Given the ongoing Israel–Hamas war, many pro-Palestine commentators have criticized Marvel Studios for including Bat-Seraph – a character that frames Mossad and the wider Israeli military positively – in Brave New World.
As multiple sources (such as The Hollywood Reporter) have also noted, while the Sabra name typically refers to either someone born in Israel or type of fruit tree, for many Palestinians, it’s associated with the 1982 Sabra refugee massacre (Bat-Seraph’s creation pre-dates this event, however). While Haas won’t adopt the Sabra alias and isn’t aligned with Mossad in Captain America: Brave New World, many are still calling for boycott of the film.
That’s one side of the controversy: Haas’ character is too pro-Israel. The other side is that she’s not pro-Israel enough. After Marvel Studios announced that Ruth Bat-Seraph would have a different backstory and no codename in Captain America: Brave New World, the American Jewish Committee branded the move “a betrayal of the character’s creators and fans.” However, this backlash died down following reports Haas’ Bat-Seraph will retain her Israeli background and accent.
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Has Marvel Studios Addressed the Shira Haas Captain America 4 Controversy?
Yes, Marvel Studios has indeed weighed in on Captain America: Brave New World‘s Shira Haas-centric controversy. Back in 2022, the studio issued a statement emphasizing Ruth Bat-Seraph’s revamped characterization in the MCU. “While our characters and stories are inspired by the comics, they are always freshly imagined for the screen and today’s audience,” the statement reads. “And the filmmakers are taking a new approach with the character Sabra who was first introduced in the comics over 40 years ago.”
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Since then, Marvel Studios has shed further light on how the big screen Sabra differs from her comics counterpart. Aside from eschewing a crime-fighting moniker, the MCU’s Ruth Bat-Seraph is an ex-Black Widow, not a Mossad agent. And rather than the Israeli armed forces, she works for newly-elected President Ross and the US Government. Whether these changes win over critics remains to be seen, however.
Captain America: Brave New World arrives in cinemas on Feb. 14, 2025.
Published: Jul 24, 2024 07:15 am