Marvel Studios
On Thursday, it was reported that Marvel Studios had delayed the release of Captain America: Brave New World, which was originally scheduled to release this spring, back to February 2025.
Captain America: Brave New World, the fourth film in the Captain America franchise and the first since 2016’s Captain America: Civil War wasn’t the only MCU film to be newly-scheduled for 2025, as both Thunderbolts and Blade were, as well.
What makes the circumstances around Captain America: Brave New World different, however, is the fact that the project not only already finished filming, but will now be undergoing months’ worth of reshoots and the axing of three major sequences following poor audience test scores, according to reports.
But why is Marvel suddenly decided to gut Captain America: Brave New World? Some fans think they know why: the inclusion of a controversial character named Sabra, who is an Israeli supersoldier.
And given the presence of an Israeli supersoldier, that suggests that the film likely has some sort of Middle Eastern conflict element to it, which is obviously something that is quite controversial these days.
One line from a Marvel Comic infamously and troublingly says of Sabra, “It has taken the Hulk to make her see this dead Arab boy as a human being.”
Oh they’re getting rid of Sabra FOR SURE https://t.co/h6ajNYuETx
— Monkee D. Hernandy (@hernandy_s) November 10, 2023
Why do I get the feeling something approaching this scene was included pic.twitter.com/mpeVoDhEGN
— Uncle Kaz stan (@3inatrenchcoat) November 10, 2023
It certainly doesn’t help that the film was previously Captain America: New World Order, either, as that’s a phrase that’s long had conspiratorial connotations, particularly as it relates to certain antisemitic rhetoric.
Marvel has previously responded to the criticism regarding Sabra’s inclusion, saying in a statement to CNN that the Captain America filmmakers are “taking a new approach with the character Sabra who was first introduced in the comics over 40 years ago” and that MCU characters are “always freshly imagined for the screen and today’s audience.”
Now set to release on February 14, 2025, Captain America: Brave New World stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Captain America, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, Carl Lumbly, Tim Blake Nelson, Shira Haas, and Liv Tyler.