Why has Captain America: Brave New World become controversial?

The MCU has been in something of a reset period of late, with Captain America: Brave New World in line to be one of the projects welcoming in its new chapter. This summer's Deadpool & Wolverine feels like more of a standalone adventure — especially as its adult content means younger Marvel fans won't be able to see it in cinemas. After that, it's on to Captain America to carry the torch.

Marvel debuted the first trailer for Brave New World last week and the response was broadly positive. Anthony Mackie is stepping very capably into the leading man role and it's great to see Harrison Ford marching around yelling at people in his grumpy, gravelly voice. Also, Red Hulk is here, and that's exciting.

But the trailer has also aroused controversy in certain corners of the internet, with some even going so far as to call for a boycott on the film, and it's all to do with a supporting character: US government official Ruth Bat-Seraph.

Who is Ruth Bat-Seraph in Captain America: Brave New World?

Ruth Bat-Seraph, played by Shira Haas, works for the US government as a key ally of Ford's president Thunderbolt Ross. She used to be a Black Widow, which means she has ample combat skills and can more than handle herself in any given espionage situation.

In the comics, Ruth is the alter ego of the mutant superhero Sabra — an agent for the Israeli secret service organisation Mossad. The character was always controversial on the page, especially in her interactions with often stereotypical and negatively-portrayed Arab characters. Given the long history of tension in the Middle East, some readers found the character insensitive.

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When the movie's inclusion of a reimagined version of Sabra was first announced by Marvel in 2022, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel condemned the character's comic book incarnation for "ugly racism and valorisation of Mossad".

Responding to that controversy at the time, Marvel said (via New York Times): "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."

But the reaction to Sabra in the comics was never universally negative. She was one of the first Jewish superheroes to appear in a major comic book and fans have long advocated for her to show up in the MCU.

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Today, the controversy around depicting an Israeli hero is even more intense than it was in 2022. The current Israel-Hamas war is a febrile issue and, on social media, Marvel is receiving a lot of criticism for including a character with such documented links to the state of Israel.

This criticism is in place regardless of the fact Marvel has made big changes to Ruth, moving away from the Mossad links of the character's source material.

Who plays Ruth Bat-Seraph in Captain America: Brave New World?

Shira Haas plays Ruth in Captain America: Brave New World and the character makes a brief appearance in the new trailer. Haas is an Israeli actor who received nominations at both the Emmys and the Golden Globes for her performance in the German miniseries Unorthodox.

Her casting has also drawn calls for a boycott from certain corners of social media given her links to the Israeli military. Haas was medically exempted from conscription to the Israel Defense Forces, but served a short period of voluntary service in its performance theatre unit.

This controversy is unlikely to go anywhere in the months between now and Captain America: Brave New World's cinema release. Marvel is the latest entertainment powerhouse to discover how carefully they must tread when dealing with the complex geopolitical situation in the Middle East.

Captain America: Brave New World will be released on 14 February 2025.