Marvel's Jewish superhero Sabra gets a Soviet makeover

Marvel Studios has stripped an Israeli superhero of her Jewish identity in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. Sabra, aka Ruth Bat-Seraph, has been given an identity overhaul. According to The Jerusalem Post, instead of being an Israeli mutant agent, Sabra is now a former Soviet "Black Widow" and "high-ranking US government official."

This rewrite came after American Muslims for Palestine objected to Sabra's inclusion in the film.

Marvel's summary of the character states: "a former Black Widow, Ruth is now a high-ranking US government official who has the trust of President [Thaddeus] Ross." Gone are mentions of Israel, Mossad, or her superhero name "Sabra," which is slang for a native-born Israeli. However, "Sabra" also brings to mind the Sabra and Shatila massacre, an attack on Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut, Lebanon in 1982, carried out by Lebanese Christian militias with the complicity of Israeli forces, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians.

In 2022, Nerdist anticipated this was going to be an issue for Marvel:

There's nothing wrong with wanting to put a Jewish hero in the forefront of the MCU; however, putting Sabra, an Israeli government agent, into the world's biggest blockbuster franchise is a problem. It certainly feels like the powers that be are ignoring the real-life atrocities happening to people. There are already other Jewish heroes that Marvel Studios can include in the MCU. And there are so many ways to whisk audiences away into a thrilling story without this problematic emblem. For Marvel Studios to go forth with using a racist and outdated character like Sabra would be a shame and an incredible insult to Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab fans all around the world. Let's see how this all unfolds as New World Order approaches.

[Thanks, Todd!]

Previously: Funnyman, a Jewish superhero from the Golden Age of Comic Books