Marvel unveiled a new trailer for the latest installment of the Captain America franchise at Disney's D23 conference in Brazil on Saturday night.
The trailer Captain America: Brave New World offers further insight into the film’s plot, including hefty screentime for Israeli actress Shira Haas, who plays Agent Ruth Bat-Seraph in the movie.
Captain America: Brave New World
(Video: Courtesy of Forum Film)
In Marvel’s comic books, Bat-Seraph is a mutant with special powers and the first and only Israeli superhero in the Marvel universe, known as "Sabra." In the new film, however, the character is portrayed as a former Black Widow, an assassin who has transitioned to work for the establishment, serving President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford).
Marvel previously announced the film would take a “new approach” to Sabra’s character in response to criticism from pro-Palestinian groups. Reports online also suggested that anti-Israel sentiments, induced by the Gaza war, have impacted the design of Haas's character in the movie.
Sabra first appeared in comics in the early 1980s in one of The Incredible Hulk issues. Her entry into the Marvel canon brought the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the forefront, with her expressing remorse over the death of a Palestinian child after the Hulk “educates” her on the conflict.
Due to the stereotypical portrayal of Arabs in the comics, pro-Palestinian groups criticized her inclusion in the cinematic universe, with the Institute for Middle Eastern Understanding claiming that "Sabra glorifies the Israeli army and police."
Captain America: Brave New World is the fourth installment in the Captain America series and the first featuring Anthony Mackie in the lead role. Its predecessor, Captain America: Civil War, was released in 2016 and concluded the trilogy starring Chris Evans.
Also starring in the movie alongside Mackie, Ford and Haas are Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson and Liv Tyler. The film is set for release on February 14, 2025.
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